In his first event of the Rio 2016 Olympics, having done well to qualify for the final, Jitu Rai looked a little overawed by the occasion, leading to the Indian finishing eighth out of eight athletes in the 10m Air Pistol final. Jitu Rai will hope an increase in distance will increase his chances of winning India's first medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics when the 28-year-old competes in the men's 50m Air Pistol on Wednesday.
Things looked good for Jitu Rai and India when the youngster qualified for the 10m Air Pistol final in sixth place, but when it came to the business end of the event, the Commonwealth and Asian Games champion froze, and as a result, he was the first to make an exit.
Jitu Rai would have learned from those mistakes, and considering the talent he possesses and his previous big-match ability, there is a good chance that the Indian will come back with a vengeance in the 50m Air Pistol. Joining him in the "let's hope they get India a medal" ranks will be the veteran Prakash Nanjappa, and if India can get both of their shooters in the final, it would be a perfect scenario for the country.
This will be Nanjappa's Olympic debut, at 40, the oldest Indian to do so, and having overcome many hurdles in his life, including a paralytic attack in 2013, it would be one of the stories of the Olympics if he were to finish on the podium.
As heartwarming as Nanjappa's story is, though, Jitu Rai will be India's best medal hope, and his coach Smirnov Pavel has no doubts about his ward's capabilities. As far as Pavel is concerned, if Jitu Rai holds his nerve on the big stage, he will walk away with an Olympic medal.
"He has the technique and the temperament that's needed at this stage," Pavel told PTI. "It's about dealing them with emotion at the final tomorrow.
"You have to find the right kind of diamond after constant digging, and once you get it you've to hone it to perfection. You just can't bring someone from the street and shine him like a diamond."
Perfection will be the key for both of these Indian shooters on Wednesday. And if they manage that, they will return to India with a medal around their neck.
Where to Watch Live
The 50m Air Pistol qualifying is scheduled for a 9 a.m. local time (5.30 p.m. IST, 1 p.m. BST) start. Live coverage of that event will not be available. The final, though, will be and it begins at 12 p.m. local time (8.30 p.m. IST, 4 p.m. BST). All the TV and live streaming information is below.
India: TV: Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3 and DD National. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK and Ireland: TV: BBC. Live Streaming: BBCiPlayer.
Brazil: TV: SporTV, Globo, Fox Sports and ESPN.
USA: TV: NBC. Live Streaming: NBC Sports live extra, NBC Olympics and NBC Olympics app.
Canada: TV: TSN, RDS. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Australia: TV: Channel 7, 7Two and 7Mate. Live Streaming: Channel 7 online.
