New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Eight years after narrowly missing out on the Asian Games by a single point, trap shooter Ahvar Rizvi has finally earned his place in India’s continental Games team, with the 26-year-old set to compete in the men’s Trap event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The moment Rizvi received confirmation of his selection came in Kazakhstan, where years of disappointment gave way to an emotional celebration with his coach, Vikram Singh Chopra. For the shooter, the selection carried added significance following his heartbreak in 2018 and the subsequent removal of Double Trap from the international calendar.
“As soon as I finished my round in Kazakhstan, my coach Vikram Singh Chopra came up and told me that I had been selected for the Asian Games. I was in complete disbelief, my body went numb, and I broke down in tears and hugged him. In 2018, I had missed the Asian Games by just one point. The Games come once in four years, and representing India on this stage has been a lifelong dream. The first thing I did was call my parents and elder brother,” Rizvi recalled.
Rizvi first picked up a shotgun in Meerut in 2012, entering a sport already deeply embedded in his family. His father, brother, uncles and cousins were all involved in shotgun shooting, and despite concerns about his age and the weapon’s recoil, he eventually made it through the state trials with his family’s backing.
“When I was young, the gun was too heavy and the recoil was violent. My cousin Arsh Ahmed would physically stand behind my back during training rounds to absorb the recoil jerk. Another cousin, Rayyan Rizvi, gave me his gun for years and managed all my visa paperwork so I could travel and compete internationally. Family support is everything; without their unconditional backing, reaching this stage would have been impossible,” Rizvi said.
His rise continued with a silver at the 2017 ISSF Junior World Championship in Moscow, before he claimed individual gold in Changwon in 2018 with a score of 141, a mark that surpassed the senior world champion’s score.
But the discontinuation of Double Trap soon forced Rizvi to rebuild his career in Olympic Trap. The switch proved difficult, with his performances dipping and thoughts of quitting creeping in until Chopra helped him change his approach.
“After winning World Championship gold, Double Trap ended. I struggled for nearly three years trying to switch to Single Trap. My scores dropped, and there were days I cried and thought about giving up shooting entirely. My coach, Vikram Singh Chopra, who has guided me since 2014, sat me down and reset my mindset. He told me: ‘Double Trap is gone. If you could win medals and raise the Indian flag there, you can do it in Trap too.’ That conversation gave me the strength to push forward,” he added.
A lack of suitable equipment posed another hurdle during the transition. Rizvi eventually received crucial assistance from Lakshya Sheoran, the 2018 Asian Games silver medallist, who handed over his own competition gun for training and trials.
“Equipment is paramount in shooting. When my scores were low initially, it was because I didn’t have a proper trap gun. Lakshya gave me his own gun to train and shoot the trials with. Shooters rarely part with their competition weapons, and it is with his gun that I made the Asian Games squad,” Rizvi shared.
Rizvi also acknowledged the role of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), particularly its national camps, technical assistance and overseas exposure, in helping him establish himself in the event.
At the Asian Games, he will share the Indian men’s Trap squad with Olympian Kynan Chenai and childhood friend Shapath Bharadwaj, giving him a familiar support system as he makes his long-awaited continental debut.
“The consistent support, transparent trials, and exposure camps provided by NRAI have been vital in helping me adapt technically and stay match-ready at the highest level,” Rizvi said. “The team atmosphere is incredible. Kynan treats us like younger brothers and brings invaluable senior experience, while Shapath and I have been roommates since our junior Double Trap days. On the range, handling pressure comes down to controlled breathing and taking it one target at a time. When I step onto the range in Indian colours, there will only be one vision in front of my eyes — seeing the Tricolour rise to the National Anthem.”
–IANS
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