Bhopal: Olympian Istvan follows father in more than one way

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Shooter Istvan Peni, the two-time Olympian from Hungary, has a lot in common with his father including their names, the room where they rest after sweating it out on the shooting range. His father’s name is also Istvan Peni.

The similarities don’t end here. His father not only taught him shooting technique but also accompanies him as a coach when he takes part in competitions. "The disadvantage of having your father as a coach is that I have to share a room with him and he snores," Peni told Free Press after winning silver medal at shooting world cup in Bhopal.

Shooting flows in his blood as his mother has been a shooter too. Istvan Peni’s father is a silver medallist in World Championship. And his mother, Erika Lencz, is a national-level rifle shooter. Peni, the son, has won 50 prominent international medals, which include a bronze medal at Youth Olympics Games. Peni is a two-time Olympian too, having taken part in the Tokyo Olympics and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

During his final match, Istvan called for his coach during a timeout. After the match, when asked what you talked about with your father, Istvan said, "I only wanted water. That's one of the perks of having your father as a coach,” he added.

When I was small, my father was still shooting. He was going out and winning medals. I accompanied him, and that’s how my shooting career began, said Peni when asked about how his shooting career began.

Asked if there’s any other sport he played aside from shooting, Peni said, "I used to play football like many kids in Hungary. But now I'm concentrating on muscle development. I am training my core muscles." When asked how does he deal with a bad day, he said, “If it’s already bad, then what can I do? I always prepare for what’s next."