THEY will be competing in the same shooting category, the 10m air rifle, at the upcoming Asian Youth Games (AYG).

So, does that make national shooters Jodie Tan and Goh Jia Yi rivals in their chase for glory?

Far from it.

"I love her too much," said Jodie, as the duo broke into giggles, a frequent occurrence during their interview with my paper.

Indeed, they can be mistaken for close pals, as they enter the final stage of preparations for the inaugural AYG from June 29 to July 7.

Jodie, 17, would tease Jia Yi, three years her junior, about oversleeping during their two-week centralised training camp which ended on Tuesday - a claim which Jia Yi flatly denied, again amid much laughter.

They admitted that they grew closer during the camp, as they had previously trained at different times of the week.

But would their competitiveness spoil their friendship, should both of them be in contention for an AYG medal during the tense final rounds of the competition?

Said Jodie: "By then, we would be too focused on our own shooting routines to think about the other. So it's unlikely to affect us too much.

"In fact, if either of us starts to think about what the other is doing, we won't be able to concentrate and shoot well."

Added Jia Yi: "Of course, if either of us wins a medal, we would be very happy for each other."

The duo are part of an eight-shooter contingent (four boys and four girls) to represent Singapore at the Games.

Jodie, who has been with the national squad for more than three years, came in sixth out of 90 shooters at the International Junior competition in Germany in April, scoring 395 out of a possible 400 in the qualification shoot.

Jia Yi, who joined the national squad last November, is also in fine form this year, recording a score of 397 during the AYG trials.

Both said that they are immensely proud to be representing Singapore and, although nervous, they are confident that their recent training will produce good performances at the Games.

Said Jodie: "The Germany competition did give me a confidence boost, because I know where I stood among my international peers.

"I felt happy to know that, after training for so long, I could see some great results."

Despite the high mental demands of their training, the duo are relaxed, cheerful and raring to do well at the Games.

They even found time to dress up a teddy bear as a birthday present for their coach, Spencer Tan.

The teddy bear's name? Marks. "And Spencer. Get it?" said Jodie, amid laughter from the two shooters.

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