On July 31, 2023, it will be two years since the fateful day in Tokyo when Anjum Moudgil fell four points and 12 inner-10s short of qualifying for the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions. The sensational pistol-shooting duo of Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary had already crashed out by then and the backlash back home was unsettling. Raninder Singh, then president of the National Rifle Association of India, had already warned that there would be repercussions owing to the Indian shooting team’s ‘non-performance’.
Moudgil, however, was unperturbed by the hue and cry. Although she finished 15th, seven places off a berth in the final, she was happy with how she fared at the Asaka Shooting Range in Nerima City. That India chooses to equate sporting success with only the number of medals an athlete wears about his or her neck is a concept still baffling for the rifle shooter.
“Yes, I did not win a medal (in the Olympics). But we often want to see how we are at a particular level, how well we can maintain our mental and physical health. I was pretty happy with my performance,” she said. She had finished 15th with a score of 1167-54x.
It bodes well for athletes if they know their capabilities are trusted and are aware that the support they are receiving is unconditional, believes Moudgil. “If we are giving respect to an athlete when he/she wins, there should be an equal respect when he/she isn’t doing well. Because the effort put in is the same. Sometimes good results come, sometimes they don’t.”
What one may find particularly compelling about Moudgil is her ability to blend technical expertise with personal values. When she speaks, her eloquence is captivating.
“Last Olympics, the expectations were quite high because the Indians had been doing so well throughout the year. Thus, the pressure was also more. There was also so much going on at every level — within the team, from an administrative and government’s perspective.
There are a lot of controversies, there are a lot of positive and negative things that happen. There are a lot of new things, those which haven’t happened previously. Sometimes, the importance given to those is so much that it hampers our training schedule,” Moudgil said at the Sportstar National Sports Conclave in New Delhi. She was part of a panel discussion on ‘Eyeing the Paris 2024 Podium’, also featuring reigning boxing world champion Nikhat Zareen, Asian Games silver medallist in hockey Rani Rampal, Murali Sreeshankar (the Commonwealth Games silver medallist in long jump), and Paralympic gold medallist shuttler Pramod Bhagat.
There was, however, a phase immediately after the Summer Games in the Japanese capital when Moudgil distanced herself from everybody. She admits she didn’t even want to leave her bed as she hardly had any motivation to carry on and decided to hit reset. “I took a break. It’s usually my routine to always take one break post any competition. After that I went back to basically focusing on my training and the basics. Just to start over again as a beginner and it took me a certain time to get back.”
Moudgil’s comeback was a tour de force, testament to her unwavering dedication and spirit. She perfected her craft with a fervour and in less than a year the Chandigarh shooter was back at the top of her game. When she claimed the World No. 1 spot after winning a bronze medal in R3PW at the Changwon World Cup, it was clear that her relentless training had paid off.
Rapt attention: Anjum Moudgil lends a keen ear during the Sportstar National Sports Conclave in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV
“There were a lot of learnings that we got during the preparations for Olympics and after that. We just had to try different things and learn from experience, and that definitely helped us in our training for the World Cup next season. I believed in myself, no matter what the situations were. I know how capable I am of controlling my mind and body. So, once you know you are capable enough to control your mind in a particular situation, it just helps you sail through,” Moudgil continues.
The shooting virtuoso’s skills, warmth and kindness has earned her many a fan among the up-and-coming athletes. From Rhythm Sangwan to Shreya Agrawal and Tilottama Sen, everyone swears by the name of ‘Anjum di’. On March 25, for example, Moudgil was seen having an hour-long conversation at the dining table with 14-year-old junior world champion Tilottama, who was visibly distraught after registering ordinary scores at the recently concluded ISSF World Cup in Bhopal.
“She is the coolest. Nobody comes even close to her. She listens to all your doubts and gives insightful answers,” 22-year-old Shreya had spoken of Moudgil during the National Games 2022 in Gujarat.
With Hangzhou 2023 and Paris 2024 fast approaching, the effectiveness of periodisation cycles is not lost on Moudgil. The 2018 World Championships silver medallist (in 10m air rifle) is confident that she can peak at will if the situation demands.
“I can really peak when it’s important now — during the World Championships (Aug-Sept), Asian Games (Sept-Oct) and Asian Championships (Oct-Nov). I sort of balance my peak and recovery time. I think being in this sport for so many years has really given us this experience where we play in domestic competitions, make it to the team every time and then peak during international competitions. It’s just a part of an elaborate routine,” Moudgil said.
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