Thursday, July 24, 2014

Jos hoping to walk the talk with shooting medal

Pistol shooter Joseline Cheah wants to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal when competition begins on Friday in Dundee. - Filepic
Pistol shooter Joseline Cheah wants to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal when competition begins on Friday in Dundee. - Filepic 

GLASGOW: Since arriving in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games, national shooter Joseline Cheah has been doing a lot of walking.

Joseline and her team-mates, who stay at the picturesque Dundee, have been travelling by bus to the Barry Buddon Shooting Range at the quaint Carnoustie for training since arriving on July 17.
The bus ride takes about 30 minutes.

The shooting competition will begin on Friday and Joseline will be in action in the women’s 10m air pistol event.

The shooting venue is situated about two hours away from Glasgow, where most of the action is taking place, but Joseline is fine being based in the rural area.

“I just love walking. We train in the morning and relax in the afternoon. Walking is one form of relaxation for me,” said the 31-year-old.

“I find that every city has its own hidden beauty … so when I walk, I explore them. Dundee has a lot of beautiful buildings.

“One thing that still catches me by surprise though is the unpredictable weather.

“For example, yesterday was bright and sunny but today there’s fog above the sea. It’s simply beautiful and breathtaking, though.”

As much as she loves strolling around Dundee, Joseline knows that it’s not going to be a walk in the park when she gets into action in her third Commonwealth Games.

Many things can go wrong for a shooter - the weapon may be faulty or get jammed and there could be distractions like unpredictable weather or poor lighting. Worse still, they could even lose focus if their opponents are on fire.

“One thing that is under my control has been my own preparation and, so far, it’s been good,” she said.

“Honestly, I do not know any of my opponents. I’d rather stay focused on myself and my performance.”

“I competed in the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games but I hope this one will be the most memorable. I’m just fixated on winning my first gold,” added Joseline, who won a silver with Bibiana Ng in the 10m air pistol pairs in Melbourne in 2006 but returned empty-handed in New Delhi four years ago.


 by Rajes Paul - The Star

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