NEW DELHI: The surroundings were familiar but Ganemat Sekhon was still “very nervous” at the start of her maiden senior final before getting her act together to win India’s first-ever ISSF World Cup medal in women’s skeet.
The 20-year-old from Chandigarh created history when she bagged a bronze on the third competition day of the tournament here on Sunday.
“In the final, I was very nervous because it was my first time in a senior final, I was excited, there were too many emotions, but I think, after the second round, I was actually in it…
“Even after missing I realised that this is an opportunity and I cannot let go of it, so I think that’s what got me going and I reached here,” she said after her impressive show.
Sekhon was not aware of the feat she has achieved on the shotgun range of Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range.
“It was after I won it that I got to know. The feeling was overwhelming.
“I was working towards this and this was my ai. To come in the final for the first time in senior and going with a medal for the first time is a very big, good thing and I am very happy about it.”
Though the stage was the biggest of her career so far, the experience of training at KSSR was an advantage for the young shooter.
“I think because it was a home range I was very confident shooting here, I had my father behind me and (national shotgun coach) Mansher sir was also there, supporting us throughout and the environment was very good. So a lot of plus points throughout.”
Asked about the biggest takeaways from her first final, she said, “I think it was to be calm and not let emotions take over.”
In 2018, Sekhon became the first Indian female skeet shooter to win a medal at the ISSF World Championship, with a bronze in the junior event in Sydney, Australia.
Having started shooting on the insistence of her father Amrinder Singh Sekhon in 2015, the youngster completed her hat-trick of silver medals in the senior National Shooting Championship when she won the silver medal in the 2018 championship in Jaipur.
In the selection trials held at KSSR in January this year, Sekhon had topped qualifying with a score of 120, which was a huge six points ahead of second place finisher.
In the finals of that trials, the Chandigarh-based woman shot 55, which was a clear four points ahead of second-placed Zahra Deesawala.
Sekhon also competed in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, where she finished 10th.