With German legend by his side, Anish thrives

ANISH Bhanwala is in a happy space at the moment. The proficient pistol shooter from the country has elevated his game in the last one year or so. That lift in confidence was evident during the ongoing Olympic Shooting Trials (OST) as he put up some rich scores to practically seal a spot in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol team for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

- ANMOL GURUNG

With an average tally of 585.3 across four trials held at two venues (Delhi and Bhopal), Anish, who signed off with a second-place showing on the concluding day (T4 finals) on Tuesday, was well ahead of the rest of the pack. Vijayveer Sidhu, who topped the T4 finals at the MP Shooting Academy, finished a distant second in the overall tally.

"Everybody started from zero and we had to perform during the trials. I'm happy with the scores that I put up. I'm thrilled that I'll be taking part in my first Olympics," Anish told this daily.

Anish made it look rather easy but this period of prosperity comes after setbacks. A former junior world champion, Anish's talent was undeniable.