Tokyo Olympics 2020: "Saurabh Chaudhary will definitely win a medal," says Iran coach Ali Reza Ghiasi

Saurabh Chaudhary has left a lasting impression on shooting targets and the minds of his competitors. And when Ali Reza Ghiasi, the coach of one of the Indian’s biggest medal threats at the Tokyo Olympics, says the teenage sensation is a sure shot for a podium finish, one cannot but take notice.

Ghiasi is the coach of Javad Foroughi, the Iranian pistol shooter who has been creating waves on the international circuit.

The 41-year-old Foroughi, along with Saurabh, is considered a medal favorite in the 10m pistol events and Ghiasi deserves much credit for unraveling the prodigious Iranian shooter.

Both at the World Cup in New Delhi, earlier this year, and recently in Osijek, Foroughi stood atop the podium in his pet event. And on both occasions he pushed Saurabh to the lower rungs – the Indian teenager having to contend with a silver in Delhi and a bronze in Osijek.

Ghiasi has stuck with Foroughi through thick and thin. They say that only a jeweler knows a diamond’s true value. This proverb epitomizes the relationship between the two.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Ghiasi opened up about how he discovered Foroughi, his ward’s strengths and his predictions for the Tokyo Olympics. Excerpts:

Q) Where and when did you discover Javad Foroughi? He doesn’t look like any of those academy-produced prodigies. I reckon that he didn’t have a conventional beginning to his shooting journey:

Ali Reza Ghiasi: "I have been a head coach in one of the army organizations in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). Once in the championship match of our organization, I had invited 10 shooters to the final camp of our team. Javad with 556 score was in fourth place. We had two months to lead the team to the 22lr league (centerfire competitions). They had not seen a sports pistol before. They were surprised and interested. They had only practiced with air pistols."

Ali Reza Ghiasi & Javad Foroughi! (L-R)

"First, I adjusted the pistol 22lr grip and their triggers in my own way and taught them sighting. As usual, our ammunition resources were meager. So, I based my strategy on scatt training and dryfiring practice. I discovered his special abilities with scatt as the score charts drove me crazy," added Ali Reza Ghiasi.

"Javad was not a cut diamond. From then on, I was his angel and I supported him everywhere because I knew that he would raise the Iranian flag in competitions and go on stage. At the end of 2015, he scored 584 (292 in Precision and 292 in rapid)," Ali Reza Ghiasi said.

Ali Reza Ghiasi's ward Javad Forough is currently ranked 4th in the world.

"In 2017, my coach (Master Bajlani) and I brought an air pistol for Javad. He entered air pistol competitions and won medals in almost every competition he participated in! We made him a member of the "Air pistol Premier League" team in Iran. He also won the league and won the national championship for the year. This is how he joined the national team and continued his success," said Ali Reza Ghiasi.

Q) Javad won 2 World Cup Golds in the 10m Air Pistol this year. 1st in New Delhi and 2nd in Osijek. What makes him so consistent? Pressure seems to have no effect on his performances:

Ali Reza Ghiasi: "Javad is a nurse in the emergency department. His whole life revolves around situations of stress and crisis. He was born in a border province which mainly consists of hardworking people. Crises in shooting matches are a joke for him."

"I always propagate this thought: 'you do not need technique to be a champion, you need recklessness and self-confidence.' Javad is gifted with these two traits in the right proportions. That’s why Javad shoots with such calmness and composure even in the finals!"

Q) Saurabh Chaudhary was also on the podium with Javad on these two occasions. It’s so fascinating because these two shooters have an age gap of more than 20 years. What are your views on young Saurabh's talent?

Ali Reza Ghiasi: "Saurabh Chaudhary in the air pistol qualifying match was able to score 27x. (2021 ISSF World Cup Osijek - Croatia). It is quite remarkable. In the finals, the ability to gain inner 10’s (x) differentiates the winners from the rest. Saurabh possesses this ability in abundance."

"He is among the best in the world. He is so relaxed. Abhishek Verma is an equally good shooter. There is promise that he can shoot even better scores. Though, for that to happen, he should raise his self-confidence as a shooter, " added Ali Reza Ghiasi.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: It will be tough, feels Ali Reza Ghiasi

Q) Any predictions for the Tokyo Olympics 2020? Will the competition level be a notch higher than the World Cups? And lastly, any mantra for the budding shooters

Ali Reza Ghiasi: "Saurabh will definitely win a medal for India at the Olympics. I promise. Don't forget my prize for this correct prediction! However, the top of the mountain is very sharp in this sport. If the focus of any shooter is on the podium, he will lose it, only destiny should be respected. I hope both the nations Iran and India achieve success at the Tokyo Olympics 2020!"

"In the two 2021 ISSF World Cups, the Chinese and Korean shooters didn’t participate. So it’s expected that the competition levels will increase in the Tokyo Olympics, where these power-houses will also compete," said Ali Reza Ghiasi.

"The target should be practicing well and increasing self-confidence, those are the duties of an ideal shooter. Medals, victories, and laurels then follow automatically! I strongly feel that score is like the by-product straw whereas correct technique and perfect execution are like wheat. One who seeks wheat also acquires the straw. But it is not the other way around. Have you ever seen someone planting a handful of straw in a field and waiting to reap wheat?" Ali Reza Ghiasi signed off by saying.

Checkout: Profile of Saurabh Chaudhary

Read: Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary - India's young medal hopefuls at the Tokyo Olympics!

Read: Tokyo Olympics 2020 - Full events list and schedule!