Differently abled player bags gold in shooting event

Giri, the victorious shooter, notched 376 points after taking shots from a 10-meter distance in prone position and bagged a gold medal. The ‘Paralympic’ talent has finally identified his future after hitting forty rounds in the shooting range. 

Stepping up to the challenge, the boy struck yet another gold medal with a score of 355 points in air rifle peep sight, sources said. Joy knew no bounds for the shooter’s father, who along with his wife, had come to Madurai from Chennai. 

Giri had dropped out from studies in Class 8 after he found it difficult to access his classroom located in the upper floors. He had taken a six-month training in shooting before he outshined his rivals at the championship. After intensive practice, he appeared in the champions, in which he eventually he earned his first State-level medal in the sport. His shooting skills were honed at the Centre for Sports Science - Gun for Glory shooting academy in Chennai, Giri said. 

Speaking to DT Next, S Velshankar, secretary, Madurai Rifle Club, said there was a good show of enthusiasm from students in the championship, which had an enrolment of around 800 shooters including 131 from Madurai. Skilled shooters of 28 rifle clubs from across Tamil Nadu showcased their talent under various categories. With accuracy, they shot from different positions, including open sight, peep sight, centre fire, prone and three other positions. 

During the last shooting championship organised by the Chennai Rifle club, a total of 540 shooters had tried their luck. Unlike previous years, online registration system was introduced for the participants, Velshankar said.

Taking pride in the achievements of the club members, JS Venkatachalapathy, joint secretary, Coimbatore Rifle Club, said N Gayathiri, who is a club member there, was the only shooter selected from Tamil Nadu to participate in the upcoming Asian games. As many as 60 shooters from Coimbatore participated in the championship concluded in Madurai, he said.