KARACHI: Seasoned shooter Khurram Inam on Thursday earned his place at this summer’s Olympic Games after winning the final round of national trials here and then declared that he will go all out to surpass his personal best in London.
Khurram, who has the experience of representing Pakistan in the Sydney and Athens Games in 2000 and 2004, was at his brilliant best on the final day of the trials as he registered a thumping win over his top rival Ahmed Sultan.
“It was easily the toughest competition I’ve ever faced in my life,” Khurram told ‘The News’. “There were five rounds of trials and then another three rounds before a winner was decided. I’m over the moon after winning it and will now focus on giving my best in London.”
So what does Khurram intend to do after winning a London 2012 spot? “I’ll take some off days from shooting because after all the physical and mental efforts during the trials I feel drained and need some rest,” he said.
But Khurram was quick to add that he will leave no stone unturned in his efforts to be fully prepared for London where the skeet competitions will take place on July 30 and 31.
“Representing your country at the Olympics is one of the greatest honours one can have and I’ll go all out to make it sure that I give my best in London. I want to at least finish among the top-ten,” he stressed.
Khurram, 45, has shot 119 – his personal best – on three occasions in international competitions including the Sydney Games.
In London, his dream is to win an Olympic medal but his more realistic target is to record a score of 119 or better.
“All the athletes going to London 2012 will be dreaming of winning medals there and I’m no exception,” he said. “But realistically speaking, I’m not going there as a contender and I’ll be happy if I’m able to match or better my personal best score.”
Khurram said that the trials turned out to be a good preparation for him as the competition was challenging for him both mentally and physically.
“It was a long and demanding competition and the good thing is that after winning these trials, there won’t be half as much pressure on me in London.”
But Khurram is expecting that London 2012 will pose a huge challenge to him and other shooters because of its tough range.
“The shooting range they have built for the London Games is a difficult one because of its design and backdrop.”
Khurram pointed out that apart from extensive training, skeet shooting also requires a lot of luck especially if you want to win a major event like the Olympics.
“There are a lot of very good shooters coming to London from countries like Sweden, USA, Italy and Ukraine and you can’t predict who is going to win the gold there. There is going to be a really tough competition for skeet medals in London.”
