New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Maheshwari Chauhan, a leading Indian shotgun athlete who narrowly missed a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, aims to apply her learnings to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The 30-year-old is currently training at the Asian Games preparatory camp for trap and skeet shooters at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.

A total of 12 shooters, with six from the skeet team and six from the trap team, are participating in the camp, sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), lasting until August 18.

SAI has offered financial support to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for organising the camp, which includes expenses such as boarding and lodging, travel, range facilities, ammunition and consumables, coaching, and support staff.

Maheshwari and Anantjeet Singh Naruka secured fourth place in the mixed team skeet event in Paris, just one point shy of winning the bronze medal. Their achievement marked a historic milestone as they became the first Indian duo to reach the final of an Olympic skeet competition.

For Maheshwari, her experiences over the past two years have laid a foundation for her upcoming challenges. Speaking before the Asian Games, she mentioned that her approach stays consistent regardless of the competition’s prominence.

“My actual expectation (from my debut Asian Games) is to really just be very present and enjoy myself. I think I’m going to just have the same approach to any competition. The titles keep changing, and the process and the approach stay the same,” she told SAI Media on the sidelines of the camp.

The Rajasthan shooter, also a Khelo India Athlete (KIA), mentioned that her experience in Paris has boosted her confidence and provided her with a more solid foundation for development.

“A debut Olympic Games can be a little strange, but I did really enjoy myself, and it’s given me a great base to build on, and I think that’s all I want to do going ahead: learn from that experience,” she continued.

Reflecting on the 2024 moment, Maheshwari added, “It isn’t something that you can forget. And it just stays with you. And then you’re always a little more motivated and hungrier to push yourself more.”

The ongoing camp includes Indian Shotgun Athletes selected for participation at the Asian Games 2026:

Skeet team – Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan

Trap team – Kynan Chenai, Neeru Dhanda, Ahvar Rizvi, Manisha Keer, Shapath Bharadwaj, Aashima Ahlawat

–IANS

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