Hyderabad, June 4 (IANS) Highlighting the growing impact of government support for female athletes, pistol shooter Esha Singh has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives aimed at promoting women in sports, calling them an “amazing” step forward for the country.

Government-led flagship programs like the Khelo India Games and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) have played a pivotal role in bridging structural gaps, offering athletes state-of-the-art training facilities, financial assistance, and international exposure.

“It’s an amazing initiative, and our country is doing that for women in sports, something not many platforms or places acknowledge, so I am very grateful to have such a leader in our country,” Esha said at an event on Thursday.

The sporting ecosystem in India has witnessed a significant paradigm shift over the last few years, with grassroots programmes and targeted funding fuelling a massive surge in female participation across various disciplines.

“We are seeing an immense number of women entering sports now. Of course, it’s not easy for us; we have our own challenges. However, I would say we are no less than the opposite gender. We can give our absolute best, and I want to wish all of them the very best,” she added.

An Olympian, three-time world championship medallist, and double Asian Games medallist, Esha clinched the gold in women’s 25m pistol event with a world record (and junior world record) score of 43 at the recently concluded ISSF Shooting World Cup in Munich. She later bagged the silver in the 10m air pistol.

Reflecting on her experience in Munich, the 21-year-old shooter said, “The weight of the pressure is the same no matter how much experience you have, and in fact, the higher the level you go in competition, it keeps getting tougher, but I would say the only bonus I had was that I had experience with the range. I knew Munich; it is my third time here, so I am happy that I had this opportunity again to perform there. I am glad that I could execute what I was doing in my training, so overall it was an amazing experience.”

Speaking about her preparation for major upcoming events such as the Asian Games, Esha said, “I would say I don’t really change my preparation depending on the name of the game. I just keep it the same because ours is a very mental sport, it’s a mind game, I would say. The only complications that you have are in your head, and that’s what you have to deal with; it’s going to be the same, and I’ll try my best to get as many laurels as I can for the country.

–IANS

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