From 0.3-point heartbreak to Asian Games bronze: Rudrankksh Patil's road to redemption
Nagoya: At the last Asian Games , Rudrankksh Patil missed the bronze by 0.3 points in the shoot-off . On Monday, the 22-year-old finally had his medal and a measure of redemption.
The past few years have been a roller-coaster ride for the Thane shooter, with Monday’s bronze coming after a series of near-misses and disappointments.
At the 2022 World Championships in Cairo, Patil secured a quota place for the Paris Olympics , but lost out in the selection trials to Sandeep Singh . In 2023, he did not get an opportunity to defend his world title either.
Patil believes those disappointments and circumstances have taken a mental toll. In Monday’s 10m air rifle individual final, he led at the halfway stage before gradually slipping away. He admitted the problem was more mental than tactical.
“I got a little excited, too excited to finish the shot. I could have been much more patient there and it could have been better,” he said.
The bronze, while a relief, also brought back another disappointment. Despite becoming world champion, Patil has not received the Arjuna Award . He admitted the snub affected him deeply.
“I’ve never said this openly before, but I was disappointed when the Arjuna Awards were announced. I cried. It was also funny because I have been world No. 1 twice, a world-record holder four times. I won the world championship, World Cups and Asian titles, yet...”
“That said, my state has supported me a lot and I’ve also received a lot of support from the central government through schemes like TOPS,” Patil added.
“But I know these things are not in my hands. The only thing I can do is win medals. But I really hope the country appreciates it in some or the other way,” he added.
The past few years have been a roller-coaster ride for the Thane shooter, with Monday’s bronze coming after a series of near-misses and disappointments.
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At the 2022 World Championships in Cairo, Patil secured a quota place for the Paris Olympics , but lost out in the selection trials to Sandeep Singh . In 2023, he did not get an opportunity to defend his world title either.
Patil believes those disappointments and circumstances have taken a mental toll. In Monday’s 10m air rifle individual final, he led at the halfway stage before gradually slipping away. He admitted the problem was more mental than tactical.
“I got a little excited, too excited to finish the shot. I could have been much more patient there and it could have been better,” he said.
The bronze, while a relief, also brought back another disappointment. Despite becoming world champion, Patil has not received the Arjuna Award . He admitted the snub affected him deeply.
“I’ve never said this openly before, but I was disappointed when the Arjuna Awards were announced. I cried. It was also funny because I have been world No. 1 twice, a world-record holder four times. I won the world championship, World Cups and Asian titles, yet...”
“That said, my state has supported me a lot and I’ve also received a lot of support from the central government through schemes like TOPS,” Patil added.
“But I know these things are not in my hands. The only thing I can do is win medals. But I really hope the country appreciates it in some or the other way,” he added.
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