The Indian shooting scene as of late has garnered ample attraction. While Indian shooters’ senior squad will take its biggest ever contingent to the Olympics, it was India’s Junior Shooting team who made headlines in the ongoing ISSF World Cup 2019 with their spectacular performance.
Here’s a list of 5 young Indian shooters who has all the potential take the rich shooting convention forward:
Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker picked shooting only a few years ago and what success graph she has observed! She is only 16 right now and has officially made a world record by scoring 242.5 points in the Women’s Junior 10m Air Pistol Finals.
Manu came into limelight when she contended at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 10m Air Pistol class and won the gold medal. She won it with an untouched and an all-time game record in both the Qualifications (388) and the Finals(240.9). The event included participation from the top sporting nations like Australia, England, Canada, among others.
Manu had won her first senior title at the World Cup held at Guadalajara, Mexico in March 2018, and proved her debut to the bigger and tougher stage.
According to her mentor Jaspal Rana, Manu is extremely focused, disciplined and rational that makes her a solid contender in the World Cup 2019 finals, where coping weight is as essential as the skill. Mas of getting felicitated by our Prime Minister Mr.Narender Modi.
Gayathri Nithyanadam
Without any uncertainty, one of the most noteworthy Indian junior shooters is Gaayathri Nithyanadam. The 19-year-old secured the bronze medal in the 50m Rifle 3 shooting event and was a part of the trio that won the gold in the group event too.
Gayathri has surely made considerable progress after she finished a disappointing 18th at the Junior World Championships in 2018. The young shooter hopes to put forward her best performances, thus bringing her stakes up in the circuit.
Also Read: Top 5 Young Achievers in Indian Sports
Yashaswini Singh Deswal
If Nithyanadam is a brilliant spot for India in the rifle category, Yashaswini Singh Deswal has proved her ability in the pistol event. Yashaswini created the storm by clinching a gold medal at the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event at the Junior World Cup.
Yashaswini was also a part of the team that won the silver in the 10m Air Pistol group event, finishing second behind Germany.
Watch: India’s Yashaswini Singh Deswal speaks after equaling the junior world record at the ISSF Junior World Championship pic.twitter.com/Ah1K5wD8vG
— The Field (@thefield_in) June 26, 2017
Earlier, Deswal had given the shooting fraternity a look into her potential at the 2014 Asian Shooting Championships where she had won the silver in the Air Pistol category and improved her notoriety further at the World Cup.
Later, the Panchkula-based shooter additionally got a chance to train alongside the likes of Abhinav Bindra in Delhi. This shooter has all the potential to show her potential at the upcoming national and international shooting events.
Elavenil Valarivan
In March 2018, the 18-year-old Elavenil Valarivan made history. Contending in her second Junior World Cup in Sydney, the Tamil Nadu-born shooter previously set a world record in the qualification round and proceeded to win gold in the 10m air rifle event.
Elavenil also broke the world record and won a gold in Sydney at ISSF Junior World Cup in 2018. Presently, the young shooter is participating at her first Senior Shooting World Cup competition in New Delhi.
“The year 2018 was extremely special for me. I was eagerly waiting that the 2019 season will start as it is an exceptionally huge year in light of the upcoming Olympics,” she said on the sidelines of her first-ever senior ISSF World Cup event.
Successful #Delhi campaign along with @Shreyaagr9032
1st position in Sr. in both Selection Trial 1 & 2
and consistent score hovering around 629 ?Thank You #GFG & @OGQ_India for all the support. pic.twitter.com/OZ5YyVaQlF
— Elavenil Valarivan (@elavalarivan) December 23, 2018
Valarivan was always into sports, however, wasn’t even aware of shooting till she was 12. Her dad, who was pursuing his M.Sc around then, taught chemistry in a school. The daughter of one of her dad’s students showed her how to deal with a rifle.
“She was a great shooter. She had an extra weapon. So she inquired as to whether I needed to give it a shot. So I gave it a shot. I began it for the sake of entertainment. In the end, I got into it and winded up being extremely proficient when I was 15,” she spoke in one of the previous interviews.
In the wake of turning proficient, Valarivan needed to venture out to a school which included a shooting range. She moved to Sanand, 30 km away from her home in Maninagar area of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Adjusting studies and shooting wasn’t simple. But Elavenil conquered it all.
Rituraj Singh
Another emerging Indian shooter is Rituraj Singh, who was a part of the team that won gold in the 25m Standard Pistol category by defeating France.
The Assam-born shooter is a big fan of Jitu Rai, who helped him comprehend and get rid of the fear from his mind. Jitu has won 5 World Cup medals in his career span and Rituraj assures that he would want to go past that record.
India’s Prime Minister too is in complete awe of the potential and the laurels, our young shooters have brought for the country. His tweet read as follows:
[Tweet “”In 2018 held #ISSFJWC, our young shooters have brought home several laurels and made every Indian very proud. Congratulations to the Indian team that took part and achieved remarkable success in the tournament in Sydney. @ISSF_Shooting,” PM Modi tweeted.”]
We also wish our young Indian shooting contingent all the very best for future events. Go & shine on!
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