Young Apurvi Chandela wants to be at the 'top of her game' as she aims for a maiden Olympic appearance at next year's Rio Games by fulfilling the stringent selection criteria that the National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) has set for the Indian shooters.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medal winning shooter earned India its second Olympic quota after notching up the 10m air rifle bronze at the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Changwon, Korea, on Saturday.
"I am aiming for my first Olympic appearance and I know I will have to be at the top of my game, keep performing better in the World Cups and shoot good scores," Apurvi said on Tuesday.
"Now I will look to work even harder and do well in the coming tournaments. The Olympic Games is coming up and my main aim is to try and stay in top form. I am really looking forward to it and I hope it will come through for me."
Though India currently has just two quotas, the 22-year-old from Jaipur is confident of the numbers swelling up in the upcoming international tournaments.
"We have got a very strong team and the aim is to get more quotas in the coming World Cup in Fort Benning. We have a lot of proven international shooters and I am very confident that we would win many more quotas for next year's Olympics. There are three more World Cups and the Asian Championships through which we can earn quota places."
In Changwon, Apurvi shot a total of 185.6 in the finals, to finish behind Pejcic Snjezana of Croatia, who won gold, and silver medallist Ivana Maksimovic of Serbia.
"It's an amazing feeling to win my first World Cup medal and also win a quota for the country. I was working hard towards achieving it," Apurvi, who will start training in three days to prepare for the next World Cup, said.
Asked about the selection policy of National Rifle Association of India, Apurvi feels it would ensure the best and in-form shooters make it to the Rio Olympics next year.
"I think NRAI has framed its selection policy keeping in mind the benefit of shooters, those who are deserving and in form will be picked. Going by this criteria, only the shooters who are in form will be picked, I believe," she said.
Apurvi thanked the senior shooters, NRAI and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) for their support.
"NRAI's support has been very encouraging, very supportive. OGQ has also been very motivating. There has been a lot of encouragement from the senior players. Even when they win medals, it motivates us. I am fortunate that we have got such a strong team with proven international record. Chief rifle coach (Stanislav) Lapidus has been preparing us for the finals."
Apurvi said her breakthrough year in shooting was 2012 when she won the gold medal at the National Championships.
"In the 2012 national championships in Delhi I won a gold medal. I think there was no looking back after that. I won the gold in Commonwealth Games (last year) and then a gold again at the shooting nationals in 2014."
Pistol ace Jitu Rai had won India's its first Olympic quota place at the World Championships in Granada, Spain last year, when he won a silver in the 50m Free Pistol event.
