Winning gold with an Asian Games record is just the beginning: shooter Kynan Chenai
The Hindu
Kynan Chenai, a shooter from Hyderabad, won a gold medal in the Asian Games with an Asian Games record. He considers it a stepping stone to his ultimate dream of winning an Olympic medal. He is preparing for the Olympic qualifying event in Korea and is motivated to keep going. He dedicates his medal to the entire coaching team.
Kynan Chenai, a member of the gold-medal-winning team in the men’s trap event in the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou, said that the team gold should only spur him to realise his ultimate dream of winning an Olympic medal in Paris next year.
“It was a great team effort. I consider this gold as a stepping stone in that direction. Winning the gold with an Asian Games record is like icing on the cake,” the 32-year-old shooter from the city said.
“We will be having a national camp in Delhi from October 10 to prepare for the Olympic qualifying event in Korea,” he added.
“Honestly, I was expecting to win something after all the efforts put by myself and by the entire coaching staff in the national camp preceding the Asiad,” Kynan said in a chat with The Hindu.
“We had a lot of matches in simulated conditions, trying to get a feel of the kind of pressure and expectation expected in the Asian Games which by no means is any less in terms of standard and competition,” explained the 2016 Rio Olympian.
There was nothing specific where I had focussed, in fact, it was just a conscious effort to show all-round improvement,” Kynan told The Hindu on his way back home.
“Obviously, the entire Indian contingent was trying really hard to reap a rich haul of medals in the Asiad and it was great to see such a terrific show by the country’s shooters,” he said.