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Shooter Anjum Moudgil On How She Is Beating Lockdown Blues

While securing a Olympic Quota Anjum also becomes the first woman to win an Individual Air Rifle medal at the World Championships in the Senior category last year.

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Ria Das
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For country’s top sportsperson like Anjum Mougil postponement of the sporting schedule was disappointing because she was among the first Indian athletes to secure a chance to compete in qualification rounds for the Tokyo Olympics. The Punjab shooter, who is now at home in Ludhiana, says she is using ​her background in sports psychology - she holds a Masters degree – to analyze the trying times. ​"It (sports psychology) has helped me to deal with the demands of shooting and also enabled me to understand myself better. During tough times, it helps you to maintain your calm and composure and view things from a broader perspective," 10m air rifle shooter Anjum told TOI.

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Key Takeaways:

  • Painting, cooking, cleaning, helping out mom are the ways shooter Anjum Moudgil has been enjoying time at home amid COVID-19 scare.
  • The shooter says that at a time like this she is using ​ her background in sports psychology - she holds a Masters degree – to analyze the trying times.
  • With rigorous travel for training and competitions before the lockdown, Anjum says this is a good time for everyone to stay home and be with their loved ones.

Anjum is hoping to spend some time with her family too. ​"I have a lot of time to do things which otherwise wouldn't have been possible due to tournaments and training. I am spending a lot of time painting and have always enjoyed doing so. I am selling my hand-painted diaries to raise money for an NGO which is supporting villages (affected by COVID-19) in Punjab. I hope to raise more money in the coming days through my paintings," said the World No. 4 in women's 10M air-rifle.

Read More: My Priority Is Taekwondo, Everything Else Comes After It: Afreen Hyder

Anjum, an artist

Now many of the fans would know this, but Anjum is an avid artist who is using this quiet time to work on a few paintings at home. She also says she is enjoying helping out her mother with the household chores.

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The World Championship silver medallist Anjum is the first to win an Olympic quota for shooting in the current cycle for Tokyo.

Anjum was in Delhi at the training camp earlier in March when the first ISSF World Cup was about to take place. She has been rigorously travelling for training and competitions before the lockdown. So in the last few weeks at home, Anjum has completed an online athlete course on anti-doping from WADA. She also has finished the ‘In The Zone' course in sports psychology and is currently doing a course in nutrition. Amidst all the multitasking, Anjum is also taking care of her practice. "I have a designated place at home where I place the target and shoot from a 10-metre distance. Apart from this temporary arrangement, I make sure to work out twice a day," Anjum said.

READ: Look Beyond Cricket, Our Sportswomen Are Winning Golds!

Tokyo Dreams

A sub-inspector in the Punjab Police, Anjum has been consistently delivering top performances in the last couple of years. In September 2018, Anjum became the first Indian shooter to secure an Olympic quota for India. She claimed a silver medal in Women’s 10m air rifle event at ISSF World Championships in South Korea and emerged on top. In May, she secured second place in the women’s ranking. Two months later, she smashed the world record in women’s 10m air rifle at Masters Meet in New Delhi.

While securing an Olympic Quota Anjum also becomes the first woman to win an Individual Air Rifle medal at the World Championships in the Senior category last year.

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The 24-year-old Anjum won silver in women’s 50m rifle event the 21st Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast that year.

Talking about her strategies, she explained, “I am changing a few technical aspects and my equipment. I am trying to adjust with the changes and working hard to improving my mistakes. That is what I am targeting. I am trying to shooting my personal best in every competition and learning to be better.”

Feature Image Credit: Outlook India

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Women Athletes sports Anjum Moudgil Sports in India Shooting Indian shooters india women in sport women shooters Lockdown Sports and Coronavirus rifle shooters
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