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Time of India

Shooter Pawanpreet Singh Sekhon hits a silver at WSPS in Serbia

Ludhiana: Pawanpreet Singh Sekhon, a budding shooter from Ludhiana, won a silver medal at the the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) Grand Prix held in Novi Sad, Serbia, from July 1 to 8. Competing in the .22 calibre 25-metre sports pistol event, he stood out among top contenders from Russia, Serbia, and other European countries. Pursuing BA at Govt College here, Pawanpreet's international medal is the latest in a string of strong performances. He has previously won medals in several domestic events, in addition to an air pistol event in Serbia last year as well. During the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan games, he secured a bronze in the 10-metre junior event and another bronze in the 25-metre category. He later went on to upgrade that to a gold medal in the 25-metre event, along with another bronze in the 10-metre pistol. At present, Pawanpreet is participating in the national selection trials, aiming to secure a spot in the Indian shooting team. "Right now, my immediate goal is to get selected for the Indian team. Representing India at the Olympics or world championships is a long-term dream, but first I need to earn my place," he said. His daily routine reflects the discipline that shooting demands. He practices for one-and-a-half hours in the morning and puts in another two hours in the evening. "There's no shortcut in this sport. You have to be mentally sharp and technically consistent every single day," he said. Although he doesn't idolise any one athlete, Pawanpreet says he found motivation from the autobiography of India's only individual Olympic gold medallist in shooting, Abhinav Bindra. "Reading Bindra's book was inspiring. You can say that is also one of the reasons for choosing this sport," he said. Shooting runs in the family for Pawanpreet. His elder brother, Ashpreet Singh Sekhon, is a national-level shooter who has won a silver medal in the 10-metre air rifle category. Ashpreet too has competed in international events, including in Serbia. "I started shooting after watching my brother train. As a child, I was fascinated by the sport and slowly started learning the basics from him," said Pawanpreet. His coach, Gurjit Singh, praised the young shooter's dedication and consistent progress. "Pawanpreet is a hardworking and focused shooter. He is steadily improving with every competition. He had earlier won a medal in Serbia too, and this latest silver adds to his growing international record. He is now preparing seriously for the Indian team trials, and we are hopeful of a strong result." BOX RISING STAR Pursuing BA at Govt College here, Pawanpreet Singh Sekhon's international medal is the latest in a string of strong performances He has previously won medals in several domestic events, in addition to an air pistol event in Serbia last year as well During the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan games, he secured a bronze in the 10-metre junior event and another bronze in the 25-metre category. He later went on to upgrade that to a gold medal in the 25-metre event, along with another bronze in the 10-metre pistol INSPIRATION He was inspired by the autobiography of India's only individual Olympic gold medallist in shooting, Abhinav Bindra. "It is one of the reasons I chose this sport," Pawanpreet says SPORT RUNS IN FAMILY Shooting runs in the family for Pawanpreet. His elder brother, Ashpreet Singh Sekhon, is a national-level shooter who has won a silver medal in the 10-metre air rifle category