Ravinder Singh was willing to give up his world title defence in 50m pistol if he had made the 10m air pistol team for the ISSF World Championships in Doha, where LA Olympics quotas are at stake in the event. He came close, too. Ravinder finished fifth in the selection trial rankings, but only the top three make the team.
Ravinder Singh was willing to give up his world title defence. (HT Correspondent ) Ravinder then shifted focus to defending the 50m pistol title. Though he missed gold on Tuesday and finished with silver in Doha, he was satisfied that he gave his best (559 pts-11x) in the close final against Russian Anton Aristarkhov, who won gold scoring 561-9x.
“It was just about one card (series) where I fell short. But I was following my process all through and was very patient in dealing with the pressure situation. That’s more important,” Ravinder told HT from Doha.
The 29-year-old became 50m pistol world champion at Cairo last year, after his bronze in 2023. As much as he loves the event that has fulfilled his dream of becoming a world champion, his eyes are fixed on 10m air pistol — the Olympic discipline which is his pet event since he was introduced to the sport in the Army in 2017.
He was part of the Indian team in 2019 before a dip in form during Covid put him out of contention. It made him take up 50m pistol and compete in both events. With an eye on LA Olympics, Ravinder’s focus is back on 10m air pistol.
“I was back on the 10m air pistol team and last year competed in two World Cups, making it to the final in one. This year I did well in the trials and was very close to selection. If I had made the 10m team I would have competed in an Olympic event. Eventually my target is to qualify for LA. But I am happy with my scores in the trials.
“I shot a 586 in the fifth trial and it is a score I was shooting after a long time in air pistol. So, I know I am very close and it’s a matter of time before I get into the 10m team again,” says Ravinder.
The Senior National Championships will be his next focus. The 50m pistol team that won gold in Doha also included Tokyo Olympian Saurabh Chaudhary, another 10m shooter who is looking to get back into the side, and Amanpreet Singh.
“I was talking to Saurabh about our performance and we both felt this will boost our confidence for the Nationals. We will be preparing for
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