Mumbai: Jitu Rai, the first Indian shooter to win five international medals in a calendar year, on Monday said he is not too concerned about travelling to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics but emphasised that he wants to perform consistently rather than be happy with his qualification.
"I don't give importance to qualifying for the Rio Olympics so much. What is important is how I keep performing consistently rather than just qualifying. Maintaining a good score is very important," Rai said after being felicitated by Olympic Gold Quest.
The 27-year-old won gold in the 50 metre pistol and bronze in the 10 metre air pistol team events at the recently- concluded Incheon Asian Games.
"I won gold in 50 metres and bronze in 10 metres. My qualification was good, 585 out of 600 isn't bad, and I have not heard people qualifying better than this. I was in the top two during the finals and the Korean was striking well and struck a 10.9 and the entire arena burst in celebrations, due to that commotion I lost my rhythm and to get back in to it was difficult," he said.
The ace marksman added that winning has become a habit and said he did not expect to win the gold at the Asian Games as he did not practice very well.
"After the gold in the Commonwealth Games, I did not practice so well, so did not expect to win. I never thought that I had it in me to make it big. This was all possible due to the rigorous practice. Now when people call me to felicitate me, I don't live in that 'awe'. Earlier, I felt I would lose focus but not now. Winning has become a habit and its important that it stays so," he said.
The Olympic Gold Quest today named Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan as its brand ambassador and he pledged Rs 20 lakh for the athletes to prepare for the Olympics.
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