2 Chennai school students bag gold at CBSE national archery contest

CHENNAI: Two students from Chennai – GS Varshitha (12) and R Magizhan (15) have bagged a gold medal in the mixed team compound bow competition at the CBSE National Archery Championship held in Punjab recently.

The two students from Vels Vidyashram CBSE school in Pallavaram participated in the under-17 category at the event held in Sangrur, Punjab.

Varshitha, a Class 8 student, bumped into archery by mere chance as she decided to try it at school. Noticing her interest in the game, her parents quickly began coaching her.

She picked up the passion for archery at the age of nine, entering directly into the compound category in 2022. “With talent, determination, and consistent effort, she quickly emerged as a promising archer at the state, national, and CBSE levels,” said her mother, Tamilarasi.

Besides the recent laurels, Varshitha has won gold in the TN State Archery Championship in the under-13 category compound girls. This marked her entry as a state-level champion at just 11 years old.

In 2025, Varshitha participated in the Khelo India zonal open archery tournament. She has also won a bronze medal in the mini sub-Junior under-13 category and a gold medal at the CBSE south-zone event.

Likewise, Magizhan picked up the game at the age of six. Speaking to DT Next, Rajakrishnan, his father said, “Initially, her sister showed interest in the game at the age of 3, hence, both joined for training. To date, both have showcased outstanding performances. Magizhan has so far participated five times in the national levels; however, this is the first time he has won a gold medal.”

With around nine years of consistent practice and expertise in the game, Magizhan has won various medals to date. He is a five-time national representative in the sport, including CBSE Nationals (2024 and 2025) and Federation Cup (2019).

In addition, he managed to secure gold medals at the TN State Level under-14 category in team events (2021 and 2022). Currently in Class ten, Magizhan has won silver and bronze medals in multiple rural games and FAAT cup tournaments.

In the case of his sister, Kavinaya, who began playing archery at just three years old, she has carved a place for herself.

She had so far bagged multiple medals at state-level championships, represented TN at the national championship in the under-9 category, and was felicitated by Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for her achievements at a young age.