Low-key and Focused: Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary gains lost ground

At the Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi, the hub of Indian shooters, spotting Saurabh Chaudhary is tough. On social media, it’s even tougher.

In an age where most players are social media savvy, Saurabh chooses to maintain a low-key profile and focus on his sport.

“Training motivates me,” Saurabh Chaudhary told The Bridge, adding he does have a social media account but rarely uses it.

Even now, he prefers to go about his training and leave the range without drawing much attention.

At the 2018 Asian Games, Saurabh became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal, topping the qualification round, in just his first senior international tournament. He considers his performance in Indonesia among the most memorable experiences of his career.

The prodigal teenager, who many touted to be the greatest Indian shooter ever, however fell through the ranks rapidly after 2021. He is now fighting his way back to the top.

Tokyo Olympics and its effects

Saurabh was considered a strong medal contender in men’s 10m air pistol after topping the qualification round at the delayed Tokyo Olympics. But a slow start in the finals saw the 23-year-old finish seventh overall.

“Technically, a lot of things happened. I can’t explain, I can only feel it,” Saurabh said.

“Nothing bad happened in Tokyo. One thing was good (qualification) and one thing went according to the time (finals). Can’t say that the final was bad. It was the time that went by,” he asserted.

If a similar situation arises, Saurabh said, “I’ll think about the qualification and continue.”

Post Tokyo, his performances took a hit. He went largely unnoticed, true to his quiet demeanour.

“In a way, a lot of things have happened. My score was good. But after the Tokyo Olympics, it went down a bit. But I continued my practice. It (performance) is slowly coming back,” he pointed.

This year, Saurabh set a national record in the 10m men’s air pistol with a score of 591 to make a return to the Indian squad. He won three ISSF World Cup medals including one gold (Latin America) and two bronze in Lima and Buenos Aires.

Looking ahead

His daily training routine includes physical and mental warm-up followed by around 100 to 125 shots everyday.

Another important part of his routine is keeping in touch with his mother, a ritual he never skips.

“Three times a day is mandatory. She mostly asks me if I ate well,” he said.

Saurabh is set to compete at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan from August 16.

“The preparation is going well. I’ll do my best. Rest we’ll know how things turn out once I am competing,” he concluded.