Pistol shooter Anish Bhanwala attributes second place finish at World Championship in Egypt to extra hours of practice; eyes success at next year’s Asian Games with the ultimate aim of winning medal at 2028 LA Olympics
India’s Anish Bhanwala during the 25m rapid-fire final at the ISSF World C’ships in Cairo on Sunday
Anish Bhanwala bridged the gap between promise and potential as he fired a silver medal in the dynamic rapid fire pistol event at the ISSF World Championship in Cairo on Sunday. It turned out to be an intense final featuring the creme de la creme. In the end, when Bhanwala, 23, won silver, after two tie-breakers, he smiled and thanked his stars. “This medal has been a long time coming. If I break it down and pinpoint it to one specific aspect, it’s about how I peaked for this event. I always prepare 100 per cent, but if you see the match, what made the impact was being mentally strong. This is, definitely, a big medal for me,” Bhanwala told mid-day on Monday.
Break after Paris Olympics
People talk of a turning point, an important moment in sport from where there can be only an upward curve. Bhanwala had worked hard for the Paris Olympics, but failed to medal. There are many athletes, who are happy with just making it to the Olympics. Not Bhanwala. “After the Olympics, I had taken a break of about four months and wanted to get back fresh. That made a lot of difference. I’ve dealt with eye issues and had relied on Ayurveda when I was on a break,” said Bhanwala, not going into specifics about his condition but revealing it’s “an accommodative eye spasm.”
The Haryana shooter also highlighted his relation his coach, Harpreet Singh. “I thank my coach for all the help and the way he has been guiding me over the years. At this World Championship, the extra hours I put in at practice were important,” emphasised Bhanwala. From his young days as a shooter, Bhanwala has been extremely talented but somehow missed out on medals in big meets. It was not easy to shut out the negativity. “I love this event, the rapid-fire. I’ve always wanted to excel in this, even though there was uncertainty about this event being part of the next Olympics in 2028,” said Bhanwala.
Excited for 2026
There were protracted discussions between the ISSF and the rapid fire shooters earlier this year. Later, there were discussions with the organising committee of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for the 25-metre rapid fire event to remain a medal sport. “There’s a big difference, as, from 2026, there will be eight shooters in the final. I look forward to the next year and how I slip into competitive mode for the next Olympic cycle. Next year, I will train hard for the Asian Games [to be held in Nagoya, Japan]. I’ll go flat out to qualify for the LA Olympics and I want this event to stay in the 2032 and 2036 Olympics too,” said Bhanwala.
28
No. of points Anish Bhanwala scored to win silver at the ISSF World C’ship
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