Anjum Moudgil is an Indian sport shooter. She took up shooting while studying in Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh, little did she know that the sport would land her on the World Map.
She has won the silver medal in 10m Air Rifle Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters and a silver medal in the women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event at the ISSF World Cup in Mexico. Recently, the Tokyo-bound shooter shot a score of 1173, a huge improvement from the 1162 she shot in the New Delhi World Cup in March.
She is all set to participate in the Tokyo Games scheduled to be held in the Japanese capital from July 23 to August 8.
Check out shooter Anjum Moudgil in conversation with WF President, Ms. Namita Nayyar on shooting, her love for sport, diet, fitness routine & future plans!
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Today you hold the highest World Number 3 ranking in 10m air rifle and have won medals & accolades both in India & abroad. Looking back when you took up shooting while studying in Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh, it’s been a long journey. Throw some light on moments that led you to decide to take up shooting at a competitive level?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
I joined NCC in my school back in Chandigarh and I did go for shooting when I joined NCC because my mom had an interest and did shooting while in college so I started to go for the camps for shooting and eventually started liking it because how different it was from different other sports and the best thing about it was being an individual sport and the feeling of shooting a bullet was something that made it much better.
FULL INTERVIEW ON NEXT PAGE!
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2021 Women Fitness Org
Ms. Namita Nayyar
What attracted you towards shooting as a sport in initial years? According to you key essentials for a beginner who wants to take up shooting as a sport?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
In the beginning years the best thing that attracted me towards shooting was that individuality and it’s just myself to be blamed on whatever happens on the shooting range and the feeling of the bullets leaving my weapon was something that I could never have experienced ever in any other sport.
This made this sport very different and key essentials for a beginner who wants to take up shooting as a sport are,
- Try the sport and only then decide if you want to do it because it’s very different from other sports,
- Secondly , do your search on all the events available in the sport and also how it’s done because I never knew about the sport before I started and it took me a couple of years to get hold of it.
- Thirdly, manage your expenses well and find a good coach or Academy for the same.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have been selected for rifle 3-position and mixed air rifle for the Tokyo Olympics. Congratulations for the same. For amateurs can you explain the different forms of shooting and tips to master the skill?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
3 position event happens at a 50 m shooting Range and the air rifle event happens at a 10 m shooting Range both events have different weapons with different type of structure and weight. There are different set of rules that are followed and also different set of ammunition for both the events. The common thing between both of them is mostly the balancing of rifle and basics of shooting technique. One needs to learn the basics of all the three positions and air rifle to master both the events.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Being a specialist in the 50m Rifle 3-Prone event can you share the experience of how this form of shooting takes place and what all goes behind the preparation?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
50 m 3 position event happens on a 50 m range with a .22 bore rifle. 3 positions consist of three different positions in which we shoot 40 record shots each , thats 40 in prone 40 in kneeling and 40 in standing that sums it to 120 shots in at three positions match. There goes down really hard training for all the three positions and the techniques are really different so to master the three positions event one needs to master all the three positions separately.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Your present exercise & fitness routine, types of exercises & days/week you train? 5 stretching exercises key to shooting sports?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
I work out 4- 5 days a week depending on my competition schedule. And my physical training schedule consists of all type of training including strength training, endurance training, cardio, stability, weight training.
Any type of stretching that stretches the hamstrings , back and neck are very crucial for shooting sport as those are the muscles we mostly use.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Diet you follow to maintain good health and beat the strain? 5 key essentials in your diet? Supplements to enhance performance?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
I follow a balanced diet but not a very precise diet. I keep in mind the things that need to be avoided for my performance and what all is easily available while travelling or in competition.
My basic supplements would include vitamin C, vitamin D , omega-3 which are usually fulfilled by either tablets or seeds or any type of healthy food alternative. Most importantly its recovery and rest that helps.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have indicated “My normal heart rate is between 60-65 beats per minute. It is much lower early in the morning.” you continue to add “pre-event anxiety could be controlled because of strong heart muscles. If a shooter is unfit, the pulse rate would shoot up leading to a shaky hand that can spoil the scores,” A significant input can you elaborate on the same for viewers?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
We surely do know how to control our heart rate and breathing while in pressure conditions or anxiety conditions. Being a shooter that is the best thing about being able to have control over the mind and body therefore we are able to continue shooting for a long time under any conditions with the help of our breathing pattern. Its in all the breathing exercises or cardio we do to control our pulse rate.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
The weight of the trigger is different in an air rifle. The recoil of the gun is more in the small bore (50m). How do you go about balancing & focussing on your shooting skills.
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
I have been training for both the events from last 12-13 years and have quite understood the difference between both the weapons and how they operate therefore it just making the mind understand which event I am doing when and it automatically controls my body the way it is required for a specific event , that is known as muscle memory and it is something very important in our sport that helps me get through both the events without any issues.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
You have been one of 19 athletes honoured with the Arjuna Award year 2019. A proud moment indeed for you, your family & friends. Share the moment you were informed about the same and your reaction to it?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
I was in Delhi preparing to go for competition in China and then Brazil when I got the news about me getting the award. My family was super excited and really happy and I was happy to share the moment with them when the news was confirmed but because I was travelling to Brazil for my World Cup, I was not able to collect my award on the ceremony day and I have still not received my award and have been waiting since but I arranged for my parents to go to the ceremony and enjoy it as much as possible but we were not handed over the award. I knew I won’t be able to collect it on the ceremony day as I had to play a World Cup and for me playing for India mattered more than to be there to collect my award.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Future plans & projects?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
Into my training zone for Olympics and have been focusing on the two competitions we get to play in Croatia before we had to Japan for the Olympic games.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Message for your fans & WF followers on women health and shooting as a sport? Message for upcoming Yoga day 2021?
Ms. Anjum Moudgil
I would wish everyone the best of health and a way to think what really matters in life is being healthy and family , other things can actually wait therefore , be kind , enjoy what you do , enjoy to the fullest and most importantly be there for your family when it is required. Whatever you choose to do in your careers be sure you enjoy doing it and love doing it. I just wish everyone best of everything they do for themselves and others.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2021 Women Fitness Org