'A video footage perhaps could have helped': Rahi Sarnobat on disputed zero shot

Indian shooter Rahi Sarnobat is still struggling to come to terms with the disputed zero shot that derailed her medal hopes at the Asian Games, saying video footage might have helped establish whether the shot had actually missed the target.

Sarnobat's campaign in the women's 25m sports pistol event took a bitter turn on September 28 when one of her shots in the opening series of the Rapid round was ruled to have hit the target frame.

The decision meant she was awarded zero points for the shot and finished the series with 86 out of 100 points instead of the 96 she expected.

"Frankly, I cannot say that it was a misfire or it was off target. I fired all the shots, and we can hear if the ammunition is hitting somewhere other than the target," Sarnobat told PTI on her return at the IGI Airport on Tuesday night.

"There was no unusual sound. So, I am not fully convinced that the shot was not on the target," she added.

The experienced shooter said video footage could have provided another way to verify the incident, though she acknowledged that cameras are not normally used for such occurrences in the event.

"Maybe video footage could have helped, but this is standard practice. You usually do not have cameras for these incidents. It is not that cameras were not there for the Games; it is just not the standard practice," she said.

Sarnobat said the Indian team did challenge the decision twice, but the reviews did not change the outcome.

"Yes, we went for a review twice. There were two reviews. Usually, it is a photograph that is produced after the incident if you raise a claim.

"There are certain rules to sort that out, and after all that, they have given the result that we have today," she said.

She also pointed to the unpredictable nature of the 25m event, where such incidents can occur despite the procedures in place to settle disputed shots.

"There are certain rules because the 25m event is quite unpredictable. So many incidents happen in 25m on a daily basis. There are enough rules to minimise the possibility of wrong decisions or whatever. But sometimes, I think, things are beyond that," Sarnobat said.

For the Indian, though, the biggest challenge now is putting the episode behind her.

"Yes, it is disappointing. I am still unable to accept it. I am aware that I have to accept it and move forward as soon as possible because there is so much to do.

"There are so many competitions coming up, and there is a journey ahead," she said.

Sarnobat said she needs time to process what happened and hopes returning home and spending time with her family will help her move forward.

"I need some time to process. It is not like something happened yesterday and the next day you just carry forward as if nothing happened. I don't think that is going to be the case.

"So, I will take my time. I will go back home, be with my family and review everything. As I said, whether it was right or wrong, this is the fact. So, as soon as I process that, it will be better for me," she said.