NEW DELHI: Ramita Jindal, an emerging star in Indian shooting, has adopted a disciplined daily routine that includes supplements, breathing exercises, and yoga to excel in the sport. Her dedication paid off with a silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event and an individual bronze at the Asian Games.
Despite her youth at 19, Jindal maintains a strict regimen to enhance her shooting skills. She works with a psychologist, Gayatri Vartak, who assists with techniques, and begins her day with breathing exercises and yoga to remain relaxed and focused. Additionally, Jindal follows a carefully planned diet with the guidance of a nutritionist. Being a vegetarian, she relies on supplements, despite their unpleasant taste, to maintain her energy levels during long hours of training and competition.
Jindal's introduction to shooting occurred when her father, Arvind, took her to a nearby shooting range in 2017. She immediately developed a passion for the sport and decided to pursue it as a career. Despite her young age, Jindal has already achieved significant success, winning gold in the ISSF Junior World Championships in Cairo last year.
Her father, an advocate and income tax advisor, ensures she has the necessary equipment and support for her shooting career. Financial difficulties, often faced by aspiring athletes in India, have not been a hurdle for Jindal's journey to the top.
Jindal, a student at Delhi's Hansraj College pursuing B.Com Honours, receives support from her college, which exempts her from studies during training and competitions. She utilizes her free time during the off-season and study breaks for academics. YouTube also aids her in independent study.
Inspired by her accomplishments, Jindal's younger brother Pranav, aged 15, has also taken up shooting and is training alongside her.
Looking ahead, Jindal aspires to achieve what no Indian woman has done before: win a shooting medal at the Olympics. She hopes to participate in the Paris Olympics next year and aims to bring home a medal. Jindal said, "I just came here with the thought that I will learn and experience new things, not particularly with the aim of winning medals. Whatever the result here, I thought that will help me in learning things.
"Winning medal was not my target but I have been preparing for a long time. I have been playing World Cups and World Championships. I have been experimenting things and applying in these matches and I am happy that it had gone well."
While her primary focus is currently on the 10m air rifle, Jindal has not abandoned the 50m 3P event and intends to compete in it in the future. She draws inspiration from shooters like Anjum Moudgil, who have successfully balanced multiple shooting disciplines at top-level competitions.
"In the Tokyo Olympics, I saw Anjum Moudgil doing both 10m air rifle and 50m 3P and she was balancing both and doing well. I was really motivated by her. I am also trying to do both. It is difficult and right now I am focusing on the 10m air rifle. But I will definitely do 50m 3P in future," she added.
Jindal wants to follow in the footsteps of Abhinav Bindra as she mentioned,
"Abhinav sir is the inspiration of every shooter. There is no woman shooter in India who has won an Olympic medal, I want to become one.
"Paris Olympics is too close for me, I just got into the senior team. But I will try to be a part of the Indian team in the Paris Olympics and try to win a medal there.
"When I came to shooting I saw only Anjum di, Ela di. And after knowing them, I came to know about Abhinav sir. My whole family is not from a sports background."
Jindal's journey from a teenager with a passion for shooting to a rising star on the international stage serves as an inspiring example of dedication, discipline, and family support in the world of sports.
(With PTI inputs)
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