Shooter Anish Bhanwala looks forward to using past Asian Games experience to deliver his best in Japan

By Vivek Prabhakar Singh
New Delhi [India], September 16 (ANI): Indian shooter Anish Bhanwala, the Commonwealth Games gold medalist, expressed confidence in his performance during the upcoming Asian Games starting in Japan from September 19 onwards, saying that he looks forward to giving his best after gaining experience in the past two editions of the prestigious continental multi-sport event. 
Anish, who secured a bronze medal in the team event back in the 2022 Hangzhou edition, will be part of a star-studded Indian squad which has made its mark from the Olympics to the ISSF Shooting World Cups.  
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the launch of a book on late Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana in New Delhi on Tuesday, Anish said, "It will be my third consecutive Asian Games, and with all those experiences, I will give my best this time."
Anish noted that while he is just 24, he has a lot of games ahead. 
"We are done with both the training camps, and it is all set. I am leaving tomorrow for Japan," he added. 
On the book about shooting icon and multiple-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist Jaspal, who passed away at the age of 49 in June this year, he said, "It was a very emotional moment today for the launch of Jaspal's 'Maverick Jaspal' book, and definitely it brings out his journey and his legacy, and I am sure it will give a lot of motivation to the young leaders and all the upcoming athletes of the country."
Jaspal passed away in New Delhi in June after battling health complications. He was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket, South Delhi, where he breathed his last, hospital officials confirmed. Rana had reportedly fallen ill while returning from the ISSF World Cup in Munich that month and later underwent a medical procedure in Delhi.
Jaspal remains one of the greatest legends of Indian shooting and a pioneer whose achievements ignited the country's passion for the sport. A multiple-time Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medallist, he was once India's most successful Commonwealth Games athlete with an unprecedented haul of 15 medals, including nine golds.
His historic Asian Games gold medal at Hiroshima in 1994 launched a distinguished international career that established him as one of the finest pistol shooters of his era. Beyond his exploits as an athlete, Rana played a transformative role as a coach and mentor, nurturing several of India's leading pistol shooters and contributing significantly to the nation's emergence as a global shooting powerhouse. (ANI)