Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 6 (ANI): Indian shooter Rudrankksh Patil is gearing up for a challenging Asian Games campaign, where he will compete in tough events and aims to deliver his best performance by balancing training, recovery and competition demands.
Indian shooters will aim for a record-breaking performance as the Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
For Rudrankksh, the star shooter will be seen in the men's 10m air rifle, the men's 10m air rifle team, the men's 50m rifle 3 positions, and the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team events. This will be his first major multi-event appearance, and the Indian shooter is focused on managing his schedule, recovery and performance across all events to deliver his best on the big stage.
Speaking to ANI, Rudrankksh said this will be his first major competition where he will participate in both events, adding that his preparation has followed the same approach he uses for World Cup events.
"This is my first game in which I'm participating in both events. I'm excited for that, and the preparation has been the same as what I do for every World Cup. I have two World Cups to play in both events. My main task is to manage both events in such a way that optimal performance comes out in both," he said.
The star shooter expressed confidence in his support team and said he is following the training and recovery plan prepared for him.
"I think my team is mature enough to handle this, and I'm trusting the process, the blueprint which they have laid out for training and recovery and all the other aspects, and I'm just following that. So that is how my preparation is going on," Rudrankksh added.
Talking about handling pressure in the 10m air rifle event, where focus and precision are crucial, the shooter said pressure motivates him and helps him perform better in important competitions.
"For me, I think I get more focused during high-pressure events. So that has been a very special thing which has been happening with me for many years, and I get excited with pressure that keeps me alive, that keeps me running," he said.
Rudrankksh added that he prefers embracing pressure rather than avoiding it, as it helps him stay focused on his process.
"I'm looking for the pressure most of the time, and I get it, and when I get it, I just enjoy it. During high-pressure situations, the focus automatically kicks in, and I don't have to do anything else. I just have to follow my process," he said.
Sharing the advice he has received from senior shooters, Rudrankksh highlighted the importance of staying calm, focusing on the present and learning from experienced athletes.
"All my seniors have been shooting for 20-25 years. I have been in the team for six-seven years; I have been shooting for almost eight-nine years now. Looking at them makes me feel that they are very chill about almost everything," he said.
He added that senior athletes help younger players understand how to overcome difficult phases by sharing their experiences.
"For us, getting out of a negative situation gets a bit easier because they guide us beforehand about things that can happen and how to come out of those situations," Rudrankksh concluded.
Rudrankksh has established himself as one of the leading names in the 10m air rifle event. He won the gold medal in the individual 10m air rifle event at the 2022 ISSF World Championships in Cairo.
In 2023, he continued his impressive run by clinching gold in the individual 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo and also won gold in the 10m air rifle mixed team event alongside R Narmada Nithin.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, Rudrankksh was part of the Indian men's 10m air rifle team that won the gold medal along with Divyansh Singh Panwar and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar.
In 2025, he secured another gold medal in the individual 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires and added a silver medal in the mixed team event with Arya Rajesh Borse.
More recently, at the 2026 Asian Shooting Championships in New Delhi, Rudrankksh won gold medals in both the individual 10m air rifle and men's 10m air rifle team events, further strengthening his credentials ahead of major international competitions. (ANI)
“I enjoy pressure”: Rudrankksh Patil confident ahead of Asian Games challenge in Japan
