New Delhi: It was in May 2019 that Samrat Rana first gave notice of his talent. He was just 14 then but he took part in an open championships organised by the Manav Rachna Foundation in Faridabad.
The first prize was a Renault Kwid and Rana, not yet eligible for a driving license, took the field by surprise — winning gold and the car. He was just a year into his training at the time.
“That win gave me belief in my potential,” Rana told HT from Cairo.
His experience in the Cairo World Championships this week was no less stunning. This time, he left the world champions and Olympic medallist in his wake, by winning the 10m air pistol title. Competing in his maiden world championships and in his first senior final ever, Samrat was the proverbial dark horse who became the champion.
Making the Indian team is a tough task and honestly, Samrat was just excited to compete in his first senior world championships.
“I think the challenge to make it to the Indian team is so big that even a tournament like world championships seems a bit easier,” said Rana. “The opportunity was huge and I just wanted to soak in the experience of competing in a world championships. I had nothing in mind except that I want to shoot to the best of my ability. But that I will end up winning the title… beating some of the world’s best shooters was unbelievable. It has taken some days for the feeling to sink in.”
Rana might still have to pinch himself to believe that it is not a dream. Topping the star-studded qualification, and then beating Chinese Hu Kai in a nerve-wracking 10m air pistol final was incredible. He and Esha Singh also added a silver medal in the mixed team event.
The highlight, though, was the picture of a composed, confident Rana going for his last shot in the individual final. It was tense but Rana barely showed any signs of nerves. He had a slender lead, ahead of Hu by just 0.6 points, and shot a 10.6 to win the title. Hu’s 10.8 saw him fall short by just 0.4 points. The World No.1 Chinese was a top favourite having won all the four World Cup titles this year.
“I think I was never bothered about the score, even during my last shot. I was just focussing on the process. I never went into the championships with any expectation of a medal. I told myself I will learn from this experience.”
Perhaps that’s the reason Rana was able to keep himself in the zone. From first to the last shot in the final, Rana’s eyes and mind were firmly on the target. “In shooting, ninety percent is about your mind. No matter how much physical drills one does, a shooter has to be strong in pressure moments.”
Cairo is a happy hunting ground for Rana who in 2022 won two medals at the junior world championships in the same city. “My performance was not upto mark in 2023 but this year I did well in the selection trials and played my first World Cup in China.”
Still, for someone who took part in his first state competition in 2018, the rise to stardom has been quick.
Rana hails from Karnal in Haryana. He picked up the sport from his agriculturalist father and a hobby shooter.
“I have grown seeing my father (Ashok Kumar) practising shooting but he could never play the sport. He had no knowledge about shooting as an Olympic sport. It was just a passion for him.”
He passed on his passion to his son. A young Rana started shooting after watching his father and enjoyed holding the gun. With his son showing interest, Ashok started learning the sport to teach him and even built a makeshift range at home with paper targets after the family shifted to Karnal city.
“My father learnt the training methods and taught me. He is my coach. If I have any issue with my shooting, I turn to him. I attend national camps and then train at home. My father has never put any pressure on me to give results.”
Like his father, Rana is obsessed with the sport. “Most of my day is spent training and studying. I have a few close friends with whom I hang out once in a while. But there is no time for anything else,” says Rana, who studies in Kurukshetra University.
Manu, Esha in contention for 25m sports pistol final
On Thursday, double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh remained in contention for a place in the final of the 25m sports pistol event. After the precision stage, Esha (294-11x) is placed fourth while Manu ((292-11x) is seventh. The rapid fire round and the final will take place on Friday.
