Manavjit eyes Commonwealth gold

High on confidence after bagging gold in the Asian Clay Shooting Championship, Olympian Manavjit Singh Sandhu is now aiming to better his 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze, when Delhi hosts the quadrennial event next year.

"I'm quite satisfied with the way my training programme is going. I won the bronze in 2006 Melbourne Games and would strive for an improved medal next year when Delhi hosts the Games," Manavjit said.

However, Manavjit said he is yet to work out his specific plans for the event as he is focussed on the tournaments leading up to the Games for now.

"Yes, Commonwealth Games is certainly an important event. But I'm yet to finalise anything specific for that. For now, I am concentrating on the upcoming events and want to put up a good performance there which will boost my confidence," he said.

The marksman, who won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2007, shot 121 out of a maximum 125, to bag the trap event gold at the Asian Clay Shooting Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan earlier this month.

Next international assignment for the Delhi shooter , who will seek his second Commonwealth Games gold in 2010, is the World Cup scheduled for next month in Beijing.

Manavjit clinched gold in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Looking back at his gold-medal winning show at the Asian Clay Shooting Championships, Manavjit said he is satisfied with the performance as the competition was tough in the event.

"It was a nice experience in Kazakhstan. With countries like Kuwait and China present in the tournament, there was stiff competition. But I am satisfied with my show," Manavjit said.

"The standard of the Asian shooters is rising and the Asian-level events are also getting tougher with every passing day. This is certainly good for the sport as well as the Asian shooters," he said.