Reluctant pistol shooter Yuvika tops big guns for National Games gold
Reluctant pistol shooter Yuvika tops big guns for National Games gold: Yuvika Tomar, a competitive pistol shooter, does not feel any shame in admitting that she did not have lofty goals or a deep love for the sport when she first started.
All the 15-year-old cared about was winning a national medal and getting a career in the government.
From her hometown of Johri in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, a mecca for shooters like Yuvika, the decision to pursue shooting was easy. She could walk to the nearest range in under half an hour, and there, she could run across some famous people who could serve as role models. One of them, Saurabh Chaudhary, won a gold medal in the World Championships.
Then, when the medals began to pile up, Yuvika knew she belonged in the major league. The 21-year-old added to his collection of accolades on Sunday, when he won gold in the 10m air pistol competition at the National Games in Gujarat.
Statements
To be perfectly frank, I didn’t set out to accomplish anything in particular. However, after coming first in a field that also included Heena Sidhu and Manu Bhaker, she began training properly and quickly improved.
In a room full of the country’s brightest stars, Yuvika didn’t show the slightest sign of anxiety. At most, she showed a hint of confusion once during her entire performance. She explained that she had been hunting for her companion since she had forgotten to bring a screwdriver.
All eyes will be on Yuvika as she competes at the ISSF World Championship in Cairo later this month, as she has quickly become one of the sport’s brightest hopes. She’s not much of a talker and would rather let her performances do the talking for her.
At the 2019 Asian Shooting Championship in Doha, Yuvika was a member of the women’s team that established a junior world record score (1721-47x). She remains calm under pressure, whether it be on or off the range. But an unfortunate incident four years ago caused her to step away from the sport for nearly six months.
“All of a sudden, my father became paralyzed. He had never experienced any health problems before, but this one struck anyhow. She explained, “I was terribly heartbroken, and there was a lot of work at home and in the fields, so I took a sabbatical.
But her father, who borrowed money to purchase her first weapon, wasn’t about to let her give up the hobby that simply. He gave me a lot of good reasons to get back into training. Yuvika explained, “Right now my brother is working in the fields.
Asked about her goals for the next World Championships, she responded, “I’ll just aim to do well.” She is not one to establish long-term objectives.
Garba flavor to shooting
The celebrations of Navratri, which are especially vibrant in the state of Gujarat, are well underway across the country. When it comes to shooting competitions, the usual practice is to play a predetermined playlist over the loudspeakers while the events are taking place. However, the National Games’ organizers thought that including a dhol musician would add some flair to the proceedings.
And judging by the level of interest shown by the crowd, they were not entirely wrong. Before last Sunday, Dhol player Rahul had never set foot in a shooting range. Shooting films was what I knew shooting to be. I was surprised to be asked to participate in a sporting event. However, “after watching the sport all day, I have learned a little bit about how it works,” he explains.
Music is a vital component of shooting and the international organization recommends that “during medal matches, music should be played.”
Remarks
Milan James, the venue’s technical official, was surprised to see a dhol player there. “Recorded music is the norm at tournaments. James remarked, “On very special occasions, we have live musicians.”
During the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions shooting event, James was granted the particular responsibility of coaching the dhol player. It was my job to make sure he paused for commercials and breaks, then picked up again when the games began. And also guarantee he didn’t go crazy and play too loud,” says James.
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