Palak achieved a score of 217.6 and secured the third position.
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On a recent Saturday evening, Asian Games gold medalist Palak Gulia engaged in light conversation with her coach Rakesh Singh, focusing on the charming tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro and her intention to dedicate Sunday morning to meditation. This mental preparation seemingly contributed to her success, as the promising athlete from Haryana secured the 20th shooting quota for India at the Paris Olympics.
Palak earned a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event during the ISSF Olympic Qualification. This event’s structure, which separates the final from the qualification round by a day, may benefit certain competitors. While others were likely consumed with anticipation, Palak’s attention was diverted toward leisure activities and the local fare.
Her coach recounted that even when finals were mentioned, Palak’s nonchalant response was to tackle that subject the following day, underpinning her performance in the final. Palak, daughter of Faridabad construction entrepreneur Joginder Singh Gulia, embarked on her shooting journey at Rakesh’s shooting academy in Faridabad and Ballabgarh.
The family, with deep-seated ties to Nimana village in Jhajjar district, relocated to Gurgaon and subsequently to Faridabad to cultivate Palak’s aspirations in the sport. Before her initiation into the academy, Palak had no exposure to shooting or its various disciplines. Nevertheless, once she was steered towards pistol events, she directed her effort singularly at mastering them.
The considerable travel to the academy necessitated a disciplined approach to her education, often integrating study sessions with her commutes or burning the midnight oil. Just two years following her initiation, Palak Gulia secured sixth place in the 10m air pistol event at the 2021 national shooting championships. She ascended prominence by clinching the title at the subsequent year’s ISSF Junior Cup. That same year, she further augmented her repertoire with a bronze at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, Korea.
Palak’s diligence extended to her academic pursuits, paralleling her commitment to shooting. Her coach attributes her rapid assimilation of shooting fundamentals to her intellectual agility, enhancing her aiming technique and wrist position. She transitioned from practicing 50-60 shots to an impressive 200-250 shots daily, a testament to her growing confidence and proficiency in the discipline.
Palak’s pivotal success surfaced at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, where she etched her name in history as the first Indian woman to clinch the 10m air pistol gold, posting an impressive record-setting score of 242.1. Following this triumph, she captured the National Games title and then participated in a Brazil competition.
During the event on Saturday, Palak secured her place in the final from the sixth position, joined by fellow Indian contender Sainyam, who was close behind in seventh. Together with five additional marksmen, the duo was vying for one of two available Olympic slots for Paris, with Elmira Karapetyan of Armenia having previously secured her berth.
Commencing with a joint sixth position tally of 48.3, Palak elevated her standing to fourth with a 97.9 score. At this juncture, the promising athlete from Haryana was just 4.8 points behind Veronica Major, the leading Hungarian competitor. Through a succession of 12 shots, six of which were 10.0 and above.
Palak impressively captured her Olympic quota while surpassing Major, who finished fourth. This achievement signified that the Indian rifle/pistol squad had effectively claimed all 16 available quotas, complementing the earlier earned quota by Asian Games silver medalist Esha Singh in the women’s 10m air pistol category.
Acknowledging the inherent pressure related to securing quotas, particularly during the final event, Palak maintained her composure to overcome the deficit. Despite some initial fluctuations in performance, her eventual triumph alleviated the quota pressure. Rakesh, a guiding figure, anticipates redirecting the focus to four preparatory Olympic trials upon her return.
Meanwhile, the Gulia family anticipates celebrating Palak’s accomplishments. Her younger twin siblings, Jivesh and Jahnvi, at the threshold of age 12, eagerly aspire to pursue shooting. Palak intends to dedicate time to sharing her Brazilian adventure with them and, optimistically, return from Paris with a medal to inspire their budding interests in the sport, as expressed by Joginder.
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