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‘Rankings come and go, medal stays forever’
It's a feat that happens rarely in a sportsperson's career, and Ronjan Sodhi achieved it by becoming the world No. 1.
It's a feat that happens rarely in a sportsperson's career, and Ronjan Sodhi achieved it by becoming the world No. 1.
But rather than exulting over the achievement, the double-trap shooter is focussed on an Olympic medal in London. “I am happy being world No. 1, but it is a momentary phase. What stays with you is the Olympic medal,” Ronjan told HT from Italy, where he is training. “The No. 1 tag is motivation to do better at the Olympics. I want to make the country proud in London,” he said.
Steady show
Sodhi was ranked No. 3 at the start of the year and stayed there for almost five months before moving up a rung. Ranked No. 7 last year, Ronjan's stock has kept rising since the gold in the 2008 World Cup. “Becoming No. 1 has been a gradual process and it shows that I've improved with each day. I hope this continues till the London Olympics,” he said.
Ronjan has been impressive this year, winning a silver and bronze in World Cups. Last year, he was the lone Indian to shoot gold at the Asian Games in Guangzhou.
“As far as my training goes, I am not going to change it as it has paid me dividend. Since the World Cup gold in 2008, I have won six World Cup medals and all have come through the same training schedule," said Ronjan.
But to stand apart from other shooters, he wants to focus on mental training. “The top names have the best weapons, ammunition, coaching, but the only thing that makes the difference is mental strength. So, my focus for the next one year will be on mental training,” he said.
