By Yoo Jee-ho

JINCHEON, South Korea, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- He has been in competitive shooting for well over three decades and it is only just now that South Korean marksman So Seung-seob is feeling assured of himself in the range.

Now 47, the pistol shooter said Monday he has his teenage son to thank for that.

"My son has picked up shooting as well, and I began paying closer attention to details in my own training because I wanted to be a good father for him," So said at the national team media day at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 85 kilometers south of Seoul. "Once I started doing that, I gradually developed more faith in myself."

So will make his Asian Games debut next month in Japan. He said he had been trying to qualify for the national team for either the Asian Games or the Olympics since 1998, before some of his current teammates were even born.

"I am old enough to be the father for some of these athletes, but we are all helping each other and learning from each other," So said with a smile. "I have seen from these guys that you can still be good at a young age. I feed off their energy and I feel young around them."

So, who won a team gold and an individual bronze at last year's world championships, said his family had a muted reaction when he clinched his spot on the Asian Games team.

"I am sure they felt happy for me but they didn't really show it<" So said with a smile. "My son just said, 'Go do your best and we will celebrate afterward.'"

So said he himself is introverted and he is not interested in drawing attention to himself.

"I just want to keep a low profile and shoot my shots," So said. "I want to enjoy the competition and keep a smile on my face. I feel like I have always done well when I keep things simple."

So said he enjoys watching sports, especially baseball, but nothing beats his own sport.

"Whenever I feel stressed out, I just keep shooting," he said. "And when I shoot well, it relieves all the stress. I could never go more than three days without shooting."

jeeho@yna.co.kr

(END)

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