Olympic medallist Swapnil Kusale said on Tuesday that Indian shooters now command a degree of awe from their international rivals — a sign, he believes, that the country has truly become a world power in the sport.

The men’s 50m rifle 3-positions bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, who is not part of India’s Asian Games-bound contingent for Aichi-Nagoya, said the “fear factor” had been earned through the shooters’ consistent performances on the international stage.

India’s 36-member shooting squad is expected to mount a strong medal challenge at the continental showpiece after an impressive year that has included podium finishes at World Cups, World Championships and the Asian Championships.

“Well, you can see for yourself (the Indian shooters’ consistency). If you see (double Olympic bronze medallist pistol shooter) Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and several others in the Indian shooting contingent, you would realise why they are held in awe,” Kusale said on the sidelines of an Indian Olympic Association send-off event for the 503-strong Indian contingent.

“When we used to see shooters (from other countries) performing well, although we used to feel good for them, inside us there also used to be an element of nervousness.

“Now that the Indian athletes are doing so well, they (shooters from other countries) would also be feeling the same nervousness. So, it is human nature,” he added.

Kusale, whose remarkable composure helped him beat a formidable field to win bronze in Paris, backed the Indian team to deliver in Japan, though he stopped short of predicting a medal tally.

“They are doing really well. Their training has also gone very well and I really hope that all their efforts and hard work pays off and they win more medals,” he said.

Several top Indian pistol shooters, including world champion Samrat Rana and World Championship bronze medallist Varun Tomar, were left out of the Asian Games squad. But Kusale felt their absence would not weaken the team.

“No, I won’t say that (their absence would make a difference). Had they (those selected for the Asian Games) been weak, they wouldn’t have qualified through competitions and trials.

“The fact that they are representing the country at the Asian Games means they have worked really hard to reach where they are,” said the Pune-based shooter.

“There are several factors that play a part in an athlete making or not making the national side. It could be psychological, family… we don’t know what is going on with them. Sometimes, in a trial or competition, they might have shot poor scores and the rankings go down.” Kusale also insisted that Indian shooters are not overawed by China, widely expected to pose the biggest challenge in Japan.

“During competitions, we are really not thinking about who is standing next to us, whether he is a Chinese or someone from some other country. We are just competitors,” he said.

With the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics set to begin later this year, Kusale said he was looking forward to the road ahead, though he admitted that ongoing maintenance and renovation work at the Karni Singh Ranges was creating some impediments.

“There is a lot of maintenance going on at the Karni Singh Range. Definitely, it creates impediments, but the government is there to resolve it. So, they should wrap up these renovations soon,” he said.