Excerpts:Q: How has been your preparation for the Commonwealth Games?A: It's going on well. I have been preparing for more than a month for it.Q: How confident are you of winning gold in your first Commonwealth Games?A: I will focus and perform to the best of my ability, and whatever be the result I want to give it my best shot. I will work hard towards that.
Q: How difficult has been your journey and what is your ultimate aim in weightlifting?A: My goal is to qualify and represent India at the Olympics.
Q: You come from West Bengal where youngsters look up to sports like cricket, football and table tennis. How did you get into weightlifting?A: In my town, there were not many choices for sports. I liked weightlifting and that became my choice, and now I love the sport.
Q: You won your first senior-level international medal at the age of 18. Do you think you have been able to fulfil that promise so far?A: My focus is on performance and I have been improving it over the years. It wasn't about winning medals but focusing on performance.
Q: Who would you like to thank and remember first if you win a medal here in Birmingham?A: My coach Vijay Sharma sir and my family. They have supported me a lot and helped me to get here.
Q: Who is your idol in weightlifting?A: Mirabai Chanu is my idol.
Q: You come from a humble background. How have you been able to help your family through weightlifting?A: Through sports, I have been able to help my family and I support them as much as I can.
Q: Do you still stitch and embroider in your spare time because some people believe it helps in building patience?A: To help and build patience, I follow a very strict discipline and ensure I follow it. Beyond that I speak nicely to everyone and that always helps keep me calm.
Q: A little bit about the support team and those who are supporting you -- Reliance Foundation, SAI, Sports Ministry?A: From the time I've been sponsored by Reliance Foundation, I have been getting a lot of support, and support plays an important role. I have support from physiotherapists to help with recovery, nutritionists to ensure I follow a diet plan, and psychologists to be mentally strong and they are all there to help and support me.
Q: What else do you do to improve the mental side of your game?A: I follow the techniques that are taught during training and I focus on them and keep repeating them in my head and plan, and that gives me clarity on what I should do exactly. I also ensure that when I wake up in the morning, I meditate for some time as well. But I have a strong support team and anything I require, I always reach out to my coach Vijay Sharma sir and he helps me find the solution.
--IANSbsk/akm
(Disclaimer: This post has been auto published from IANS news agency without any modification to the text and has not been reviewed by editor)
