Anjali, Rathore aim at Olympics

For Indian sharpshooters Anjali Bhagwat and R S Rathore the inaugural Afro-Asian Games, beginning in Hyderabad, on October 24 is going to be the perfect springboard for their rendezvous in the Athens Olympics next year.

The two shooters, all-praise for the new shooting range at the Hyderabad Central University (HCU), said they are on the right track and their "body clock" is adjusting.

"Normally it takes four to five days to get adjusted with the local weather and conditions and then we are on our own," the duo told reporters in Hyderabad on Saturday night.

Anjali, the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and winner of seven medals including three gold in the World Championships at Sydney in April, said she will take every competition like another game and give equal importance and attention to all events.

"Since shooting demands more concentration, we need a better mental frame and we derive concentration from our mental peace," she said.

The individual sport tends to get influenced by psychological swings and it demands good physical and mental health, Rathore, who is ranked world no 4 and qualified for the Olympics, echoed.

Appreciating the shooting range at HCU, the two shooters said, "The new electronic target system is very good and at par with international standards."