Dehradun: Junior world champion Parth Rakesh Mane was shooting in a world of his own during the 10m air rifle final at the National Games, oblivious of the fact that the competition included two Paris Olympians and the 2022 world champion.
After 10 shots, Mane jumped into the lead with 106.3 points. The 17-year-old had logged 10.6 or more in eight of his 10 shots to firmly put himself on course to clinch the gold medal. With a perfect 10.9 squeezed in between, he was more than two points ahead of second-placed Rudrankksh Patil (104.1).
The steady domination continued till the end. Only once did Mane drop to the second place, but he quickly regained his place at the top and scored a total of 252.6 points to win gold.
Patil was snapping at Parth’s heels. He fought back from the brink of elimination, and even chased down Parth at the top before eventually finishing with silver with 252.1 points. Paris Olympic finalist Arjun Babuta finished fourth — a position that continues to haunt him. Kiran Ankush Jadhav won the bronze. Meanwhile, another Paris Olympian Sandeep Singh was pushed to sixth place.
Teenage shooting sensations are no longer exceptions in Indian shooting. Rudrankksh, Babuta and Hriday Hazarika — all three were in the final here — have had outstanding junior international careers. And now Parth finds himself on a similar space.
“I felt the pressure. It was my first senior final but I can focus better under pressure. The field was strong and I took it as a challenge,” Parth told HT.
There was another barrier Parth had to overcome through the gruelling final. Since becoming a world champion in Peru last year, Parth had been struggling in the finals. His shooting also had to adapt to his growing body, requiring a few tweaks in his training plans.
“We have been working very closely with Parth, taking into account all issues of growing up when muscles are developing and training load needs to be managed,” says Parth’s coach and former international shooter Suma Shirur, who was also coach of the Indian team at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
Shirur was, particularly, happy about the start Parth got in the final. Only a few months ago, the teenager was worried about his fumbles in the finals.
“He was upset that he was not able to manage the finals. I told him ‘never think you are not good in finals. Everything is about training. Don’t let it get on your head’,” Shirur said. “Today, it was a brilliant start. The others were around 104 points. He was able to continue with his lead throughout. That was a relief!”
Shirur has worked with Mane since he was a 12-year-old and to her, his dedication stands out.
“He came as a little boy. His father is a police officer and he was transferred to Mumbai. They were looking for a range and came to know about me. He has a lot of talent, he is very dedicated and passionate about the sport,” says Shuma.
Once Mane won a medal at sub-junior level in 2022, Shuma knew he was on the right track. “It was an indication that he is getting there. When you are able to hold on to your nerves and perform under pressure, following the process, you know the shooter can do bigger things.”
The world junior title in Peru in September last year was further proof of his talent. The competition there, too, was of the highest quality due to the presence of Paris Olympics silver medallist Victor Lindgren of Sweden and Asian Junior champion Huang Liwanlin.
“It was very cold in Peru and difficult for me. It gave me a lot of confidence. This year is my first in the senior category, though I can still play in juniors I want to focus at the senior level. I am still settling down, technique wise, my body is adjusting to changes. The National Championship did not go well for me but this title at the National Games has given me immense belief,” says Mane.
