Tokyo 2020: Past Olympic failures will play on my mind, says Deepika Kumari
The 27-year-old from Ranchi is going to the Olympics as a world no 1, similar to 2012 when she had climbed to the pole position ahead of the London Games.
However, Deepika could not live up to the expectation, making a first-round exit. Rio Games was no different as she made a last 16 exit in individual and lost to Russia in team quarterfinals.
“I don’t want a repeat anymore. It’s past but yes, that will play on my mind and there would be some pressure on the back of my mind,” she told PTI, a day before leaving for Tokyo.
“So, it’s about trying my best to keep myself free of all those negative thoughts and take less pressure. It’s about focusing just on my shooting.”
Deepika is in the peak form of her career, attaining the No 1 ranking after winning two individual World Cup gold medals this year.
“As the day nears and countdown begins, pressure builds up. So, it’s about mentally tuning and how to keep calm and don’t get unsettled,” she said.
