New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Shooting made a significant contribution to India’s medal tally at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning three medals, two of which were won by Manu Bhaker. Shotgun shooter Shagun Chaudhary believes Indian shooters are in a position to win a lot of medals in many future editions of the Olympics.
Shagun said, “The last few years have been fantastic for Indian shooting and it is only because of the hard work and dedication put in by the kids that it has ultimately resulted in results. I think we all look for immediate gains, but what really needs to be done is to focus on long-term goals, because sport is a long-term engagement.
“It takes a lot of time to get results, because there are a lot of stakes to get that one medal,” Shagun said in an exclusive conversation with IANS on the sidelines of the 14th Global Sports Summit ‘Turf 2024’ organized by FICCI at its headquarters in New Delhi. It requires hard work, time and experience. So be patient and Indian shooters have a lot to offer in the next, many, many Olympics.”
Regarding the need to create conversations about women in sports through such events, Shagun said, “It is very important to get everyone’s understanding of what they feel about sports, especially athletes. And of administrators, because this will build a bridge in terms of creating a more consistent environment for sports to flourish.”
She also expressed how women can be included in more administrative roles in sports federations in India. “To include more women in sports administration, there should be at least like Australia, there should be at least 40 per cent women administrators to have a more balanced view of the game.”
“This is because as we see the way we are performing at the international level, we now have as many girls as boys who have started participating. So if we have enough athletes, we also need enough women administrators on board to support them.”
Shagun, who was part of the bronze medal-winning double trap shooting team at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, revealed that she hopes to be back in action in January next year. “The prospects are always bright for Indian shooting. It’s always going to be bright. Hopefully I will be back on the field by January. I broke my ankle in September this year. So I am just waiting for him to recover and then you will see me in action again.”
–IANS
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