After a spirited performance by India's shooting contingent at the Paris Olympics which brought laurels to the nation in the form of three bronze medals, there is an expectation that the medals will change their form at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The shooting fans and Indian sports fanatics, in general, have predicted a much more robust display from the shooters. But it infuses more hope when the same words are echoed by someone who has shaped the latest bunch of Indian shooting prodigies like Swapnil Kusale, Anjum Moudgil, Sift Kaur Samra, someone who is regarded as the Dronacharya of Indian shooting.
Deepali Deshpande, former shooter and Olympian has the conviction that what happened in Paris was the trailer of a blockbuster that is set to take center stage at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Deshpande has mentored the current crop of Indian shooters and has been a part of their development since they first entered the shooting range a decade ago.
After making India proud at world events like the Asian Shooting Championships, and Asian Games among others, Deshpande decided to don the mentor's hat and work towards producing champions.
"Swapnil Kusale, Arjun Babuta, Anjum Moudgil, Sift Kaur Samra, Akhil Sheoran and Arjun Sarangi have been training with me for the last few years," recollects Deshpande in an exclusive interview with India TV.
"I started my coaching career in 2010 at the club level. I came in as a chief coach for the junior team when the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) launched the junior coaching programme. I met Anjum, Swapnil and others during that program.
"I could see the talent in these shooters and I realised that I just needed to channel their talent. Initially, I worked on their posture and other technicalities," she said.
Deshpande coached the Indian shooting contingent in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics and was left "shattered" by the overall display. Even though she wasn't competing herself, she felt accountable for the lacklustre display showcased by the Indian shooters in Tokyo.
"I was totally shattered after we came back from Tokyo. I was a part of the contingent and needed to take the blame. When the contingent met PM Modi after coming from Paris, I deliberately distanced myself from the contingent and went to a different table as I didn't want to face the prime minister. I felt ashamed of our performance.
"I wanted to meet him after the Paris Olympics but couldn't as I was not a part of the shooting contingent. However, I wrote a letter to him and sent it through Swapnil who read it to him.
"In reply, I got a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and it felt great. It was a personalised letter and I felt honoured," she added.
Deshpande who worked tirelessly with the Indian shooters in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics revealed that the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics gave her and her disciples one year less than what athletes usually get in an Olympic cycle. However, it didn't deter them from sweating it out in the shooting range and the results were there for everyone to see in Paris.
"We got 365 days less to prepare for the Paris Olympics after the Summer Games in Tokyo got postponed. But we were still confident of bagging a medal. I think we can expect a better performance and a bigger medal at the Los Angeles Olympics," she mentioned.
