The air of stardom about Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, arguably one of India’s best prospects for an Olympic medal in 2024, is rather specious. Roughly 5-feet-7-inches-tall, Rudrankksh is seated by the poolside of a luxury hotel in Mumbai. His hair gelled, white undershirt spotless and thoroughly ironed, the rifle shooter wipes something off the satin lapel of his black tuxedo with a paper napkin. As he smiles for the test shot ahead of the interview on the sidelines of the Sportstar Aces Awards 2023, Rudrankksh passes off as an out-and-out media-groomed professional — one who would carefully measure his words, only give you as much he wants and try to ensure he owns the moment.
Two minutes into the interview, all of the Sherlockesque deductions falls apart. Here is just another lad who dreams of owning a Supe-suit and destroying evil in all of the Multiverse. “Iron Man is my favourite superhero. I lost touch with all that (movies and television shows) long back but luckily now, Marvel (Cinematic Universe) is there, so I try to watch that as much as I can,” Rudrankksh says.
He has just finished watching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania the previous night. “It was okay...” he says of the Peyton Reed-directorial.
For somebody who loves Tony Stark, getting reminded of Thanos and the snap with the Infinity Gauntlet may have been disturbing. However, he has something to look forward to. “I will try and watch Avatar now,” Rudrankksh says.
The ‘origin story’ of the 19-year-old from Thane is pretty singular too. “When I started shooting at the Dronacharya Sports Academy, I did not have much interest. I left it within weeks. When you say shooting, you visualise rolling on the floor, aiming and stuff like in paintball but this was exactly the opposite. Standing in the same spot for so many hours was really boring,” Rudrankksh, who was named Sportstar of the Year (Olympic Sports) at Aces 2023, was being brutally honest.
Foodie
“My mom used to bribe me with food. She used to say that if you go there, I will make you a nice dessert,” he says matter-of-factly before breaking into a chuckle.
Rudrankksh, by his admission, would prefer to fine dine over shooting a 10.9. Back at the National Games in September 2022, Rudrankksh had said whenever he found himself in a tight spot, he would always think about what was being cooked in the kitchen to take his mind off the pressure. When asked, he even said eating was one of his favourite hobbies.
Rudrankksh B. Patil (left) and Arjun Babuta chat during the men’s 10-metre air rifle final at the 36th National Games. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI/The Hindu
He says, “I consider myself a big foodie. So, wherever I go for competitions, the first thing I do is try the local cuisine. So, food has always been my aim. I have to control my diet before certain matches but there is always an excitement about competitions ending because I get to try different things. I don’t have a favourite, but I am a huge non-vegetarian (meals) lover.”
When not gorging on the main course, Rudrankksh is gunning down SIUS-ASCOR targets with élan. In October last year, he came from behind to snatch the gold medal from Italian Danillo Sollazo at the ISSF World Championships (for all events). The gold was the first for India in 10m air rifle at the Worlds since Abhinav Bindra won his in 2006.
No room for complacency
Rudrankksh also pocketed the coveted Olympic quota – only the second of three of the Paris 2024 cycle after Bhowneesh Mendiratta’s in Trap. However, with the introduction of ‘Olympic Selection Trials’ (OST) — a series of four competitions to be organised in 2024 — the value of a quota has come down. Now, the mean figure of the top three scores in OSTs will be considered towards the Final Average Score (FAS) which will determine qualification. Simply put, a shooter with a quota will have a head start of mere 0.33 points.
Rudrankksh, though, is not bothered by these rule tweaks. “[Whether] the rule is good or not we will only know in 2024, isn’t it? But this rule has changed my whole perspective. I have started seeing it as one of the main reasons to remain motivated until then. Only the worthy people will go (to Paris). I have to keep myself in good form until that period.”
Besides Rudrankksh, there is another person who will be eager not to let the Thanekar’s form dip ahead of the OSTs. Ajit Patil, Rudrankksh’s coach, is a tough taskmaster but good friend. Although Ajit loves to stay away from the media spotlight, his ward had no qualms about letting the world know about the lovely bond they share.
“The age difference is a lot but it doesn’t feel like that. He is just like another 18 or 19-year-old. He is so open about everything. If we have some problem, he is always there to listen. He never stops me or any other student from doing anything. He just advises us on what to do and what not to. Rather than forcing things on players, he allows them to explore shooting. He is usually right beside us to support and help us get to the top. When we do well, he doesn’t come to the media and show off. But whenever we have some problem, he is always the first person who responds.”
‘Thorns’ and ‘flowers’
Rudrankksh’s parents — Balasaheb and Hemangini — and Ajit keep him focused on that one ultimate target. “My parents are like my alarm clock, reminding me that the Olympics are around the corner. My psychologists and my physiotherapist are all in on this act together. They keep on reminding me that it is not far off. Whenever I feel down, I am able to push through because of them. Every morning before I came here (from the Cairo World Cup), I used to get a call from mom saying, ‘Remember the final goal’. Even after winning the gold (in individual and mixed team events) in Cairo, she is relentless like that.”
Tasting success: Rudrankksh Patil with his gold medal won at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo. | Photo Credit: ANI
Rudrankksh stares into the distance, becoming a tad philosophical when he adds, “These World Cups and the World Championships are all flowers in our path. We will get many thorns in our way. It is up to us to finish the path while enjoying the journey. We just keep walking.”
The very next moment, however, the tongue-in-cheek droll is back. “ Papa ka line hai, maine utha liya (These are my father’s lines, I have pinched it off him),” Rudrankksh quips.
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