On Wednesday, as Chandigarh shooter Anjum Moudgil won the title in the women’s 50m 3P event at the 63rd National Shooting Championship at Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy Range at Bhopal, it was a moment which the 25-year-old had been waiting for long. Moudgil, who started shooting in 2008, had finished seventh in her first nationals and as the shooter completed a hat-trick of titles in the 50m 3P event in nationals on Wednesday, the 2018 ISSF World Cup silver medallist in 10m Air Rifle event termed winning the title as an “emotional day” for her. “It’s a special title for me as I have completed the hat-trick of titles in the 50m 3P event today. When I started shooting, it was a dream to win the national title one day and to win it three times in row now makes it a memorable outing for me. The conditions were bit windy here in Bhopal today and the main challenge was to shoot consistently. I have been working on some technical aspects of my shooting and I am glad it worked for me. I have not been shooting in the main event in 50m 3P in most of the tournaments since my focus has also been the 10m Air Rifle event but this hat-trick will give me a lot of confidence going into next year,” shared Moudgil while talking with Chandigarh Newsline from Bhopal. Moudgil, who works with Punjab Police, topped the qualification with a score of 1172. In the final of the 50m 3P event, Moudgil shot a score of 499.9 in the final to become the champion while N Gayathri of Tamil Nadu won the silver with a score of 446.3 points. Last year, Moudgil had become the national champion in the women’s 10M Air Rifle event apart from claiming the title 50m 3P event. In 2018, Moudgil had earned the 2020 Olympic quota for India in the 10m Air Rifle event when she won the silver medal in the ISSF World Cup in Korea. This year, Moudgil paired up with Divyansh Singh Panwar to claim the 10m Air Rifle mixed team gold medal in the ISSF World Cup in Munich and Beijing. She also reached the final in the 10m Air Rifle event in the ISSF World Cup in Munich and Rio de Janeiro where she finished sixth before she finished 13th in the ISSF World Cup Final in Putian, China last month. Though Moudgil’s best place in the 50m 3P event in the ISSF World Cup this year has been the 13th place finish in the ISSf World Cup final in Puritan, China, it was the only World Cup that Anjum competed in 50M 3P event. With the National Rifle Association Of India (NRAI) yet to decide the squad for 2020 Olympics based on rankings and trials, Moudgil is confident of making to the squad and also able to compete in 50m 3P event apart from 10m Air Rifle event in 2020 Olympics. “Winning the silver in World Cup in 2018 and earning the quota for Olympic quota for India gave me a lot of confidence. I know I have to balance both the events and I have been training in both the events. I will compete in the All India Police Shooting Championship after the nationals and I will compete in Austria and Hungary next year before the ISSF World Cup in Delhi. My aim is to shoot consistently and book my spot in the Indian team for 2020 Olympics. I know that I qualify in 10M Air Rifle, I can also compete in 50M Air Rifle and I am ready for the challenge if it happens,” shared Moudgil. Moudgil’s first coach Col MS Chauhan too showered praise on the shooter. It was under Chauhan that Moudgil started training for shooting in the NCC Directorate Chandigarh. “Anjum is one of the shooters who can shoot consistently and when she came to train under me in 2008, I was sure that she will go on to achieve bigger things for India. Her biggest strength has been her will power and dedication to train and she has shown that all these years. Completing the hat-trick of nationals titles is a big thing and it will add to her confidence a lot,” said Chauhan. Panchkula’s Yashaswini Deswal paired with Haryana shooter Abhishek Verma to win the 10m Air Pistol mixed team final in the nationals at Bhopal. Deswal and Verma overcame the challenge of Harshada Nithave and Aniket of Maharashtra 16-10 in the final.
