New Delhi: Varun Tomar’s dream of representing India at the Paris Olympics was crushed when he lost by a small margin in the domestic selection trials to pick the final squad. Tomar had won the quota in 10m air pistol by winning gold at the Asian Championships last year. But nerves got the better of him at the trials where he was edged out by Arjun Singh Cheema.

Tomar, 21, took it in his stride and made an impressive comeback in the just-ended National Championships, winning both the senior and junior (21 yrs) titles in a quality field.

“There was disappointment for sometime but then I thought of focussing on my shooting. I try to take win and loss in my stride and learn from every tournament. This tournament was important because I wanted to make a fresh start,” says Tomar.

Army shooter Tomar, who trains in Mhow, came into the Nationals with specific targets in mind. He shot 585 in the qualification, which was topped by his cousin Saurabh Chaudhary, who shot a national record score of 591. In the final on Sunday, Tomar was slow to start but did well in the elimination stage to win his maiden national title with 238 points. His Army teammate Pradhyumn Singh came second. Tomar was more consistent in the junior final, bagging the title with an impressive 246.2 points.

“I had certain targets in my mind with regards to scores and though I have not been to achieve them fully, it’s been a good beginning in the new year,” said Tomar.

“After the Olympic trials, I wanted to prove something to myself. I got back to the basics and worked on my technical part and mental strength.”

The sheer number of shooters in the National Championships (1,300 took part in air pistol senior event) made it the toughest competition at home. Though he had a rapid rise with two World Cup medals in 2023 and won the quota for India at the Asian Championships in Jakarta with gold medal last year, Tomar knows the road ahead will be tough with many talents chasing a spot in the Indian shooting team. He will have to continue with his showing at the two selection trials in February to make it to the national team.

“You look at the field and it makes it so tough. The qualifying was going on for 14 days and the scores were so good. I was in the last qualification relay and kept looking at the scores. To be able to fight through such a tough competitive field, keep your focus; it gives you confidence when you go out and represent your country internationally.”

Tomar has come a long way since he started shooting, inspired by cousin Saurabh. “Our houses are not far off. I am constantly in touch with him and we keep talking about the sport. He was so good here. We are different individuals and our shooting techniques are also different, but to have someone like him around helps a lot.”

Saurabh, 22, is on a comeback after a low following the Tokyo Olympics. He finished fifth in the final after topping qualification.