Get, set, go(ld): Esha Singh on being one of the youngest Indian qualifiers for the Olympics

Shooting has emerged as a pivotal sport for India on the global stage, especially in the context of the Olympic Games. With each competition, Indian shooters like Esha Singh are not only showcasing their talent but also cementing the nation's reputation as a force to be reckoned with in international sports. As the 2024 Paris Olympics are just around the corner, Cosmo India spoke to 19-year-old shooter Esha Singh about being a prodigy in the shooting fraternity, winning the 2018 10m Air Pistol category at 13, and more. 

Cosmopolitan India: What drew you to shooting?

Esha Singh: My dad is a sportsman (rally driver), and, I guess I followed his footsteps. He was the one who pushed me to join sports because he felt that it would instil a sense of discipline in me. He wanted me to learn life lessons through sports. Nobody expected me to take up shooting so seriously. But when I visited the arena for the first time, I was hooked. It helped me connect with myself. I learnt about the importance of mental health and strength in daily life, not just in sports. I also love how this sport helped me build a relationship with my dad. These are the things I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

C: What has been your process of achieving peak performance, mentally?

ES: I have mental trainers who help me formulate a plan and routine. I would say my experience has helped a lot. Even if it is a low or high match, I learn things about myself—where I went wrong and how I can correct myself so that if I’m in a similar situation, I know what to do.

C: Do you think passion is enough to keep one going? How do you show up every single day?

ES: On days when you’re genuinely tired and you feel you can’t (go on), discipline plays a big role. It’s about self-control. Even healthy competition—not with others, but with yourself—keeps you going. I compete with myself and see where I can improve...even when it’s a good game but I’m not satisfied. It’s because I know that I’m far more capable than that. That’s what keeps me going.

C: How do you deal with failure? What is the most important lesson that failure has taught you?

ES: My journey has never been a linear graph. It has had its ups and downs, but I’ve been on an upward trajectory. When I look back and connect the dots, everything has fallen in place. Those matches were supposed to have gone a certain way. If that mistake happened at a later time, during an important match, nothing would have worked out the way it did. If I have a low match, I remember that it is an experience you’re carrying home, which motivates you to train harder. The truth is, if I have a good match, it is hard for me to go back and think about what I have to work on.

C: What is the first thing you do instinctively after a win?

ES: Shooters often can’t express themselves or their emotions. You’re not supposed to react to a shot. But if there are huge wins, of course, I am happy. The first thing I do is look at my dad in the audience because I know he’ll be happy. I know what we’ve been through to get here.

C: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

ES: I think the most important lesson is the one that I’ve learnt myself. When I picked up a gun for the first time, I wanted to continue playing the sport, not because I wanted to see an expression from the audience, from my dad, or from my coach. It is because I genuinely like the sport. I remind myself that I don’t shoot for anyone...I do it for myself, because I love the sport.

C: Take me through your pre-game routine to get over any kind of nervousness.

ES: I tell myself that I am going to accept this nervousness because I’m not the only athlete here feeling that way. I take it as an advantage because I know it helps me perform better. I am more alert. I also remind myself that it’s good to have it—it means I care about winning.

C: What has been the most difficult challenge for you to overcome?

ES: The toughest match I played was in Jakarta (Asian Qualifying event, 2024), during the Olympic quota match because it was a high pressure match. The audience was loud and it was a pretty tough fight. But I gave one of my best finals ever (Singh finished the finals with a score of 243.1 on the board).

C: What was that moment like...when you won the quota for the Olympics?

ES: When I won, I didn’t know if I had got the quota yet, because there’s a bit of calculation that goes on. Finally, when I saw my dad, he told me I got it. That was amazing.

C: What has been your most significant moment of pride so far?

ES: Of course, the Jakarta win would be one of them. But, along with that, I would also say my first Asian Games. The competition was really tough—I shot one of my highest scores ever in the international circuit, but still ranked six or seven, and just about qualified for the finals. The finals were also tough. But I fought through it. I focused on myself and it’s that fight within myself that I am very proud of. We found out later on that I was the first female shooter (25m pistol category) to win an Asian Games medal ever. That was a very big moment for me.
 

Lead image credit: Esha Singh
 

This interview is part of a series that appeared in Cosmopolitan India, May-June 2024 print edition.

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