NAGOYA: Rudrankksh Patil had gold in his sight. A sizeable lead had put the former world champion firmly in control of the men’s 10m air rifle final at the Asian Games, with the top step of the podium within his grasp.

Then came a 9.7 -- and a late slide from silver to bronze.

For Rudrankksh, the decisive shot was not an isolated lapse but perhaps the culmination of six months of setbacks that, he felt, had gradually eroded his confidence.

"I think it is the accumulation of all the negative things which happened with me in the past six months, the World Cups and all. I was missing out, my training was not going well, that negativity was pulling me back a bit," Rudrankksh said.

The 26-year-old felt excitement, rather than pressure, got the better of him when it mattered most.

"When we are very confident, all the shots, even if we miss, they come. When we are not in that positive state, it is very difficult to bring in that shot,” he said.

"I got a little excited, too excited to finish the shot. I could have been much more patient over there and it could have been better."

He was proud of the medal, even if the colour left him wanting.

"I am very happy, very proud and a little disappointed,” he said.

The 2022 world champion then turned to a frustration that has simmered for some time -- his lack of national recognition despite a decorated career.

Asked about the Arjuna Award, he was unusually forthright. “I have not heard of a world champion who has not even got an Arjuna Award. It is very funny, very funny that I have not got it and I have applied for it for three years now,” he said.

He then listed the credentials he believes make his case: world and Asian titles, World Cup and World Cup Final victories, two spells as world number one and multiple world records.

“Is this not enough for an Arjuna Award…” he said.

Rudrankksh said he had deliberately kept his frustration private, preferring to focus on what remained within his control.

"For the awards and all, I just know that these things are not in my hand. The only thing I can do is win medals. I really hope the country appreciates it in some or the other way,” he said.

"I can't be running after them, so I never said it out before anywhere. But again, I am looking forward to that also.”

His concerns over recognition are intertwined with a career that, he feels, has not always enjoyed a smooth run.

After winning the world title in 2022, Rudrankksh was not sent to the 2023 World Championships despite being the defending champion, with the federation choosing to give another shooter an opportunity. He does not claim the decision directly caused his subsequent struggles, but believes missing the event may have disrupted his rhythm.

“I think so because all these things are ifs and buts, what-ifs. I can't be sure what broke it or what did not help me,” he said.

“But the impact of that tournament, the once-in-four-years world championship which happened during that time -- not playing that was maybe affecting me by breaking the rhythm. Maybe. I am not sure. I cannot comment on things which never happened.”

There have been other setbacks, including a bizarre equipment failure at the Peru World Cup, where his rifle auto-fired while he was in contention.

“I was doing well in qualification, in the final I was doing well, and then it auto-fired and I was eliminated. A lot of these things keep on happening around me, so I am kind of used to it now,” he said.

But Rudrankksh refuses to cast himself as a victim of bad luck. “I look at it as that I am the chosen one. If my passport is getting rejected or my visa is getting rejected, I must be chosen in some or the other way.”

The humour masks a more serious reality: managing the mental swings that come with elite sport.

“I am still young and I get very frustrated. Now I am putting on a very positive face, but inside I know when I go to my room, I am like, you know…” he said.

His answer is to separate the controllable from the uncontrollable. “I just look at the facts. I tell myself, okay, what are the things which are in my control and what are the things which are out of my control? The things which are in my control, how can I get them to maximum efficiency?”

“I am not a machine. There are certain shots which I will miss, there are certain moments which I will miss, but I will get the opportunity again and again if I keep on trying.”

That mindset will now have to carry him forward. For the moment, the 9.7 remains a reminder of how quickly control can disappear in a sport decided by fractions.

“This gives me the kick, reminding me that till the last moment you need to be very calm. You cannot, just in the excitement, pull the trigger. Just be calm. This is a learning which I look forward to.”