Ronjan Sodhi, the world No 2 shooter, justified his climb to the top when he successfully defended his ISSF Shotgun World Cup title in Al Ain, UAE, last month. He has been in sublime form and is one of India’s prospective individual medal winners at the 2012 London Olympics.
In an interview with Samikshan Dutta Choudhury of Indian Sports News, Ronjan speaks about his title defence, the Olympics and Indian shooting. Excerpts:
ISN: Congratulations on your successful title defence. What do you have to say about it?
Ronjan: Thanks a lot. It is always good to defend titles. I have been shooting well throughout the year, and it is very good to end the year before the Olympics on such a high note. It is a great plus and gives me a lot of positive vibes.
ISN: The whole country sees you as a prospective medal winner at the Olympics. Does that put any pressure on you?
Ronjan: No, not really. More than anything else, I would say it makes me more responsible. I do not take any undue pressure. People believe in me, and every time I take part in a competition I just want to keep their faith in me.
ISN: How are your preparations for the Olympics going?
Ronjan: Well, I am sticking to the same game plan, the same guns, everything the same. As I said earlier, I am not taking any pressure and I am counting on the positives I have earned during the year. I am playing a few tournaments before the Olympics and will also be practising in Italy. It is very important to keep shooting before the Olympics.
ISN: What is your view of the current Indian shooting scene?
Ronjan: I would say excellent. We already have nine shooters who have won quota places for the Olympics, and another four or five shooters will surely qualify. Fifteen shooters representing a country is enough to show the depth of the sport in the country. We are at an all-time high.
ISN: How do you rate India’s chances of winning a medal at the Olympics?
Ronjan: Well, they are better than ever. With so many shooters representing the country, we have a very good chance.
ISN: How do you think the sport is being run in India?
Ronjan: Well, the NRAI, the apex body of shooting in India, is doing a great job of promoting the sport in India. It is organising more and more camps, and that is helping the cause of shooting in India a lot. It is running the sport very professionally.
ISN: India has just won the rights to host the 2nd Asian Shotgun Shooting Championship in 2012. How do you think events like this will help the cause of Indian shooting?
Ronjan: It is always good to have events of this magnitude in India. It is going to take place in Patiala, and they have a lovely facility there. It will do the sport in India a world of good. But it should not be a one-off event, and India should try to host more and more events like this.
ISN: A number of athletes have been found using banned substances recently. How do you keep yourself away from these things?
Ronjan: No athletes take these substances willingly. They are not aware of it and they are fooled into all this. As for me, I am on the WADA list. I have to constantly update them about my whereabouts, and before taking any substance I consult a lot of people to find out whether it is ethical or not.
