Malaika wants to maintain her CWG form

Malaika, who beat her idol Heena in Glasgow, couldn't do much in the junior event at the ISSF World Championships in Granada, Spain, last week.

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Malaika wants to maintain her CWG form
Malaika Goel (left) won the silver medal in the 10m air pistol at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Malaika Goel (left) won the silver medal in the 10m air pistol at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Malaika Goel (left) won the silver medal in the 10m air pistol at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

As a child, Malaika Goel was not scared of arms and ammunition. The daughter of a police officer, weapons were nothing new for her. But it was only after she saw Heena Sidhu shoot to glory in various events on television that the young girl from Ludhiana decided to take the plunge into the world of shooting.

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"My father never brought guns to the house, but I had often seen them. So, I was not at all scared when I held my first gun," the Commonwealth Games silver medallist in women's 10m air pistol told Mail Today.

Malaika, who beat her idol Heena in Glasgow, couldn't do much in the junior event at the ISSF World Championships in Granada, Spain, last week. But 16-year-old Malaika feels she can put up a good show in the Incheon Asian Games.

"I don't believe in setting prefixed goals. Winning silver in the Commonwealth Games has given me immense confidence. Since I have performed well in Glasgow, I am confident of performing well in Incheon too," she said. "My target is to get better. So, I usually don't think about the colour of the medal. It is about giving my best and the results will follow."

The shooter, who took up the sport in 2008 when she was just 10, says winning the Glasgow silver was special, but not beating former World No.1 Heena, who finished seventh.

"I have known Heena didi for some time now. So, if I was to pick a special moment between winning silver or beating my idol, I would say winning the silver medal was more special for me," she said with a laugh. Unlike other teenagers, Malaika is not a fan of social networking sites and prefers to stick to sports even in her leisure time.

"I have always been a sportsperson. Besides shooting, I like swimming, badminton and football. Ever since I took up shooting, it has become my life," she added. Her mother Amarpreet makes sure she travels everywhere with Malaika, the youngest member of India's shooting squad.

"Having mom besides me is always an advantage. In 2012, when I travelled for my first international event, I was just 14 years old and had never travelled independently. I needed my mother and ever since she has been accompanying me to all the events," Malaika said. "Being the youngest in the squad, my seniors also take good care. They keep giving advice on the do's and don'ts."

tazeen.qureshy@mailtoday.in