Indian shooters who have entered the Paris Olympics to chase medals are seen struggling to get their favourite food.
The performance of Indian shooters on the first day of the Olympics turned out to be disappointing. Now it has come to light that Indian shooters are not getting their favorite food in the sports city built on the occasion of the Paris Olympics.
There are two ‘Athletes Villages’ for athletes. But in both the Indian players did not get their favorite food. Some shooters rely on local South Asian restaurants while others cook their own meals.
An Indian shooter said on the condition of confidentiality, “It is difficult to find food. We are somehow managing.”Pistol coach Jaspal Rana said “We cook the food ourselves. I ate rajma rice. Bought essentials from the grocery store and prepared meals in the apartment.“
Some other shooters miss the hustle and bustle of the ‘Sports Village’ in Paris. An Indian shooter said, “The shooting range is beautiful. But being away from the main sports village I am a bit worried. The accommodation here is not what I expected. But I am here to compete and win.“
Apart from Manu Bhaker who would later win 2 Bronzes for India, other Indian shooters were disappointed on the first day. The challenge for Indian men’s shooters in the 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle mixed team events ended in the qualification phase. Ridham Sangwan finished 15th in the 10m air pistol with 573 points. Earlier, Sarabjot Singh could not handle the pressure of the Olympic event and narrowly missed out on a place in the 10m air pistol final.
Debutants Sarabjot and Arjun Cheema gave excellent performances. But finished ninth and 18th with 577 and 544 points respectively. But Sarabjot Singh had his redemption just three days later on Tuesday, as he would go on to win the Bronze medal for India in the Mixed 10m Air Pistol event alongside Manu Bhaker.
