File photo of shooter Rhythm Sangwan. (Instagram)

NEW DELHI: For Rhythm Sangwan, the honesty comes easy. There is no attempt to dress up the pressure of competing at home, no rehearsed bravado. At 22, the Meerut-born shooter has already built a resume many would envy. “I would say that especially it’s happening in Delhi in our home ground, it has both its plus points and minus points, because you have those expectations from your people that the Indian athletes are going to do well, and I believe that is going to be a challenge,” Sangwan told reporters during a virtual interaction on Thursday after finishing her first day in the camp for the Asian Rifle and Pistol Shooting Championship, which starts on February 2 in New Delhi.

From ISSF Junior World Cup titles, senior World Championship medals, and a world record in the 25m Pistol Women’s Qualification, she has already won many battles. Yet, one line on her CV still feels incomplete: an Asian Championship gold.She has been close. In her second Asian Championship appearance in 2024, Sangwan clinched two bronze medals and a silver. Gold, however, has stayed just out of reach. And now, with the continental meet arriving in Delhi, the chances of a gold don’t feel distant. Sangwan, however, is careful not to let the past weigh her down.“I don’t think that we take that load on our heads because if we think about the history, then we won’t be able to complete and focus on what’s ahead of us,” she added. “We just focus on our process, and I think that’s about it.”The word “process” recurs often in her vocabulary. Even at the start of the new year, her tone resonates a detachment from any medal forecasts.