Akhil Sheoran wins 50m Rifle 3-position gold medal, erases memories of past

“When I missed the quota for Rio Olympics by 1.2 points, I cried initially after the event and remained in my room for 3-4 hours talking with my parents. But then I realised that something was missing and training is the best answer for disappointments like these. This was my first senior World Cup and the conditions were tough with the range being open-ended and windy conditions,” Sheoran said.

Just before his event, the 22-year-old sought advice from Anjum Moudgil, who had won a silver medal in the same event for women three days ago. “I had a talk with Anjum Moudgil before the event and she also told me to maintain stability. I was fifth after the first two series in the final but I knew I can shoot better in prone series. The score of 53.0 in the third prone series helped me and standing position has always been my strength,” he said. “France’s Alexi Raynaud, who finished seventh, is an Olympic medallist and Sanjeev sir is a three-time World Cup medallist. So to win the gold medal in such competition has made me forget the 2016 disappointment.”

Like many, Sheoran’s initiation to shooting can be attributed to Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Days after the historic feat, Sheoran enrolled himself at the 10m air rifle range at his school in Meerut, where he was coached by Anubhav Dhillon. He was hooked and after a few months, moved to Delhi to pursue the sport more seriously.

His first major international medal came at the Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, in 2015, when he won the silver medal in 50m Rifle 3-P event with a score of 439.5. The same year, Sheoran won the silver medal in 10m Air Rifle junior event at Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait. Last year, the youngster won the gold in 10m Air Rifle event in World University Games in Poland. “When my school celebrated Bindra sir’s gold medal in Olympics, I saw a range for the first time and decided to shoot. I met Bindra sir for the first time at a World Cup in 2013 where I competed in MQS category as a junior and later at the World Cup in Spain in 2014. We talked later and he told me to shoot with patience,” Sheoran says.

The youngster missed the Indian team for CWG finishing third behind Sanjeev Rajput and Chain Singh in the 50m Rifle 3-P event and fourth in 10m Air Rifle trials. But Sheoran knows he will have to be patient. Along with shooting, he is also completing his MBA in international business from Jamia Milia University. The studies, he says, help him focus on his shooting as well. “I chose this course as I wanted to pursue this field once I end my shooting career. When I am away from shooting, studying acts as a tool of focus for me and when I return to shooting, I am mentally fresh and sharp,” he says.