Arjun Singh Cheema’s exuberance is unmatched. “I will look forward to (the performance of) Arjun Singh Cheema,” said the 10m air pistol shooter, Cheema, while being completely focused on his training for the Paris Olympics when asked about which athlete will he look forward to.
Cheema, a non-quota place winner who excelled in the selection trials to get selected along with quota holder Sarabjot Singh, is working on technical and psychological areas of his game in Austria in order to peak in about a month’s time.
Approaching his Olympics debut, the 23-year-old Punjab shooter, who missed out on a berth in the Tokyo Games, said he would take the Games as another event.
“I am not taking it as my first Games. I am just considering it as a regular event...Every shot counts and it is a game of precision. Being in your process is what matters,” said Cheema during an interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Wednesday.
According to Cheema, the pressure of competing along with world class Indian shooters in the four-phase National selection trials was beneficial. “Sticking to the process made me improve my confidence which is definitely going to help in the Games.”
Cheema, a former World junior gold medallist, an Asian Games team gold medallist and a double Asian championships silver medallist of 2024, stressed the importance of training abroad. “The is a reason to train abroad is we get similar weather, food and sleep cycles to that of the venue, Paris, so that our body and mind adapts well.”
On a typical day Cheema starts his day with yoga and meditation followed by a shooting session of up to four to five hours in the morning and physical workout, prehab and mental recovery sessions in the evening.
The young shooter shared how a virtual session involving the Olympic probables and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra helped the shooters. “It was really great. He spoke about his pattern and preparation and it is helping us in our preparations,” said Cheema, who will compete in the men’s individual event and mixed team event (with Rhythm Sangwan).
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