Nagoya [Japan], September 20 (ANI): India secured the silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod combining to deliver the country's first medal of the Games.
Vidarsa, who finished 9th in the women's 10m air rifle individual qualifying and team final, said she was happy to have had the opportunity to compete at the Asian Games and satisfied with her performance after giving her best.
The Indian trio finished with a team total of 1898 points, placing them behind China in the standings.
Vidarsa said she initially expected to feel pressure at the Asian Games, but settled down after treating the event like any other competition. She focused on following the usual procedure and time routine, which helped her relax and enjoy the competition.
“I feel great to have got the opportunity to participate in the Asian Games. Today, I competed in the 10-metre air rifle event and gave my best. I’m really happy with my performance," Vidarsa Vinod told ANI.
“I was expecting to feel a lot of pressure, but I didn’t. I was just enjoying the competition. Initially, I did feel a little pressure, but then I realised that this is just like any other competition. The time is the same, the procedure is the same, and I just have to follow it. Once I realised that, the pressure went away, and I was able to simply enjoy the competition," she added.
Vidarsa credited the team’s preparation and training camps in Delhi ahead of the tournament for helping her stay relaxed and feel mentally and physically ready for the Asian Games. She said the focus was on enjoying the competition and giving her best rather than dealing with pressure.
“The team we have never puts pressure on us. They prepared us very well, and we also had two camps in Delhi, where the focus was not on putting pressure on us but on helping us enjoy the competition and give our best. That preparation helped me feel mentally and physically ready for the competition. I felt well prepared when I came here, and I’m feeling really good," she said.
Vidarsa also said the team faced some initial challenges with accommodation and arrangements on the first day of the Asian Games, but added that the situation has since improved, with transportation and accommodation now in place.
“Yeah, the first day was a little difficult for us because we had a lot of expectations and there were some initial challenges. But now everything is fine. It was just the first day. We have the buses arranged now, the accommodation is good, and everything has settled down. So, overall, things are going well," she concluded. (ANI)
"I gave my best, really happy with my performance": Shooter Vidarsa Vinod after India secures silver in women's 10m air rifle team
