In March 2008, India’s Athens Olympics medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore left in the middle of the double-trap final at Maine village, Patiala, accepting that he was in poor form.

He went to the Beijing Olympics short on confidence, and failed to qualify for the finals — he finished 15th in a 19-man field — of the event which had given him a silver four years ago.

Back at the New Moti Bagh Range in the city this year, Rathore said he is feeling fresh after taking a break from the sport, and is all set to reclaim lost ground at the 53rd National shooting championship, starting here on Tuesday. “I’ve been spending time with my family, especially my kids, whom I had ignored for the past some years. I just needed a break. Now I’ve started shooting again over the last few months, and my coordination with my gun is great. I feel like I’m on song again,” Rathore said.

Medals in the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships are on his agenda going forward. “I’m preparing for these big events, and if all goes well, I feel I can repeat my earlier success. I have numerous national level tournaments lined up after this one in Patiala. I hope to return to top form soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, more than a 100 shooters in various categories will take part in the tournament, which opened on Monday with practice sessions. The range seemed to be besieged by the rich and the famous from several fields for the start of the event. Apart from some of the country’s top shooters, the participants include industrialist and Member of Parliament Naveen Jindal, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Lad, and Raninder Singh, son of former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.