The Indian contingent however commenced with their campaign a day prior to the opening ceremony, on Saturday, July 27, the shooting contingent also began their proceedings at the Games. While they did not had an outing to remember as the Indian mixed air rifle teams consisting of Ramita Jindal and Arjun Bhahuta and Sandeep Singh and Elevanil bowed out of tournament, failing to qualify for the final.
On the other hand, Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Singh Cheema also failed to qualify for the final of men’s 10m air pistol, with one finishing at ninth while the other stood far behind at 18th place, respectively. However, Manu Bhaker starred on the day, qualifying in the finals of women’s 10m air pistol.
But amid such performances, the Indian shooting contingent complaint of encountering difficulties in the Athletes Village in Paris. As reported by PTI, the villages aren’t being able to cater to the tastes of the Indian athletes. While a few have relied on South Asian restaurants in Paris, others have resorted to cooking their own meals.
One of the Indian shooters, who refuted to use the name, expressed dissatisfaction with the food options, describing them as “barely survivable” and stating that they are “just managing somehow”.
Indian pistol coach Jaspal Rana opts to cook “Rajma chawal” during Paris 2024
Amid this, Indian pistol coach, Jaspal Rana confirmed that he has been cooking his own meals after dissatisfaction over food at the Village. He also confirmed that he cooked Rajma-chawal and got ingredients from local market.
“Hum toh khud banate hai (I cook myself). yesterday, I had Rajma-chawal. Got the required stuff from a grocery store and cooked at my apartment,” Rana said.
Moreover, a lot of the Indian athletes have complaint of accommodation. One of the unnamed shooters admitted to feeling “a little upset” about staying away from the main village, although they acknowledged that they tend to focus in the competition.