CHANDIGARH, JULY 26: In addition to all the traditional qualities of a budding champion, 17-year-old Abhinav Bindra has one found more among established pros than wannabes: Humility.In Chandigarh for the first time after winning a wildcard entry to the Sydney Olympics under the hardship quota, Abhinav said: "I was prepared for both: to be selected or not to be selected. Anjali Vedpathak and I were the two strong contenders for the wildcard. Though I got it, there's still a chance that Anjali will too, since quite a few women's quota positions are yet to be filled."Away on a short break from the Sports Authority of India's national shooting camp in Bangalore, Abhinav who also scored 82 per cent in his Class XII boards recently will be among the youngest shooters to participate in the Sydney Olympics. Despite his age, he is only too aware that the next few months will be the most crucial ones for his fledgling career as a professional shooter."I have to practice hard now, for at least 10 hours a day. My Hungarian coach Laszlo Szucsak has advised me to follow a strict training schedule, including jogging and special back exercises," he says. "I'm also doing a bit of meditation to prepare mentally for the big event."In fact, the Express team interrupted Abhinav's gruelling practice schedule at his private, Rs 5-lakh, soundproofed and air-conditioned shooting range at his residence this morning.Has the youngster, with a minus-two eyesight, who equalled the air rifle world record of 596/600 in junior men's air rifle category at the Munich World Cup recently, started to feel the pressure already?"No way! Though the Olympics are a special occasion, I'll perform my best and that's it," comes the confident reply.Abhinav was supposed to undergo an advanced training programme for pressure and mental management at the Lanny's Institute of Mental Management in US, (which is run by former Olympic gold medalist in rifle shooting, Lanny Bassah, under the aegis of NASA), early this month, but he dropped the idea as his Hungarian coach advised him to stay in India for a while."Laszlo was against my going to USA for the course at this juncture. He instead advised me to prepare at home for the Olympics with a cool, composed, and stress-free attitude. I am also doing a bit of meditation to get mentally prepared for the big event."After participating in two national sports trials championships for national shooters in Banglore, Abhinav will probably be leaving for Sydney on September 5."Though I've been to Sydney a couple of times before, I want to get used to the climate at the crucial time. The venues for the Olympic shooting events will open by September 2, so I will have plenty of time to settle down and get used to practicing on the electronic target at the same range, something I can't do in India," says Abhinav.Ask him about his goals, and the sharpshooter is modesty personified: "In shooting, you can't predict anybody's performance. The person who shoots the best on a given day is the winner. My first aim will be to shoot my best when I need it most. After all, winning an Olympic medal gold is no joke."
