New Delhi: Saying that Ronjan Sodhi is synonymous with consistency would not be an overstatement but in his own words, the champion double trap shooter's already overflowing cupboard will be complete only after he wins an Olympic medal and the upcoming London Games will be the stage where he would look to realise his dream.
"An Olympic medal is something that stays with you all your life and I also want to win there," Sodhi told PTI.
India has no dearth of medal contenders in shooting and Sodhi is one of the best bets to hit the bull's eye at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
Sodhi, who trained in Italy ahead of the Games, is all the more confident of producing a good score after losing weight.
"I have been giving it all to be in my best shape for the Olympics. I have lost weight. Besides, my experience of playing in major tournaments will come in handy," said the 33-year-old shooter from Ferozepur, Punjab.
Thanks to his countless exploits at the range, Sodhi last year achieved the numero uno status in double trap rankings, but he takes it at as just another thing, a lot like the way he prefers to look at the London Games.
"Ranking keeps on changing. I am not going to be holding on to that world number one position forever. As far as Olympics is concerned, people are expecting me to deliver but I will be happy as long as I give my best," he said.
For someone who had failed to make the cut four summers ago for the Beijing Games, it is time for Sodhi to make amends.
"I am mentally much tougher this time around and ready for the Games."
Indian shooting has been on the upswing over the past few years and from nine in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the number of shooters for the London Games has swelled to 11, which is the highest ever.
The likes of Sodhi, Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang are expected to do an encore come July 28, when Vijay Kumar starts India's campaign in the 10-metre Air Pistol event.
"Most of our shooters this time have qualified for the Olympics well in advance and that is good. And the focus too, unlike in the past, has been on winning medals right from the word go, training," Sodhi said.
The first Indian shooter to successfully defend his World Cup title at Al Ain, UAE last year after winning medals at the Asian and Commonwealth Games in 2010, Sodhi's main target now is to maintain his current score of 145 in the qualifiers.
The biggest challengers on Sodhi's way to the podium in London are Walton Eller and Joshua Richmond of USA and China's Hu Binyuan.
Incidentally, Sodhi, who is hoping to peak during the quadrennial extravaganza, defended his world title by defeating Binyuan.
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