Anisa Sayyed, the twin gold medal winner in the 25m pistol event at the Commonwealth Games shoots stereotypes by the day. Born and brought up in Pune, this ever-smiling daughter-in-law of a middle-class family from Palwal district in Haryana is shining in this a sport which was considered the preserve of the well-endowed. As she prepares for the Asian Games, here Anisa gets candid.
How is the atmosphere at home?
It's a ‘Seeta Aur Geeta' kind of story. In my in-law's place (a village near Palwal), I am covered head-to-toe. We don't have a television at home. In Pune and Faridabad (near Palwal, where her husband is posted), I am Geeta! What I am today is because of my husband and my in-laws' constant support.
Why did you quit your Railways job?
I didn't opt for sports to get a Government job. I took up the job to support my career in sports. But, when it began to be a hindrance, I quit. But, my resignation was not accepted, and after I won the gold medals, they've offered me posting in Faridabad. I'm contemplating about it.
What are the challenges you face while training?
I love listening to old romantic numbers, and sometimes, a song keeps haunting me while shooting. In the pin drop silence of the range, hundred things come to your mind. As you have to hold the gun in one hand, at times, your hands feel unusually heavy. Sometimes, even your heartbeat becomes a noise.
So, how do you handle this?
Pranayama. And, striving to remain positive — for, in shooting you are competing against yourself. At the camp, we are consistently told how to be focussed and smiling in adversity.
How did you take to pranayama?
My father was conversant in Sanskrit slokhas, and it was he who introduced us (I am the youngest in the family of four daughters and a son) to yoga. He encouraged us to participate in sports from a young age. In fact, we didn't even need to seek his permission; we used to tell him only when we were about to leave for a camp or a tournament. When we discovered a trunk full of his certificates as a football player, we thought, he perhaps wanted to realise his dreams through us.
And, shooting?
I was an NCC cadet, active in many sports. I was a decent football player, and represented my university at the national level four times. During the NCC camps, I used to try my hand at rifle shooting, and realised it was a sport I could score without much effort. So, when I kind of got bored with football, I decided to give shooting a try. Around the same time, I attended a lecture by Gani Sheikh. Inspired, I requested him to take me under his wings, and he agreed.
What do you and your partner Rahi Sarnobat discuss in the range and outside?
We discuss everything under the sun except shooting, because our styles are different. And, there's no point because we don't have a coach who can convey the technical aspects to us.
You won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games without a coach?
Yes! But, now that we've won it, we are being asked where's the need for a coach. However, we do need a coach. May be the Association has its compulsions.Jaspal Rana has agreed to be my personal coach me after Asian Games.
So, how is the Association helpful?
Shooting is an expensive sport, and without the Association's support no budding shooter from a middle-class family can dream of representing the country. A bullet costs Rs. 16 to Rs. 20, and one has to fire around 200 such bullets every day as part of practice.
What are our chances in the Asian Games, considering the competition has multiplied?
I look at the positive side — Australia won't be there, and the thing with China and Kazakhstan is that they come with two-three shooters of similar caliber. Anyone could be a challenge, but I believe the cold weather in Guangzhou is a bigger challenge.
