At 78, veteran Chennai shooter is an inspiration

The Hindu

26-07-2025

At 78, Malathy David's shooting prowess is flabbergasting. The septuagenarian, a resident of Kilpauk, is an inspiration to shooters – both budding and seasoned – at the Chennai Rifle Club, which she calls her 'second home'.
Having picked up all disciplines – Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun – Malathy is the lone shooter in the Veteran Super Women category (above 70 years) from Tamil Nadu, even up to the South zonal level, in the rifle and pistol events.
Recalling her childhood days in a neighbourhood where guns were commonplace, she says, 'When I was a kid, I used to watch our elders go on hunting expeditions – this was when game hunting was permitted, and that is what piqued my curiosity about guns.' Her first air rifle was a German-made Diana gifted by her father G.D. Dhanaraj, a senior police officer.
Malathy's journey in shooting sports, however, began as an NCC cadet representing Fathima College, Madurai, where she did her PUC from 1962-63.
'It was a rough, uneven terrain in the Pasumalai hills where we used to shoot. There was no coat, sling or gloves or scopes to watch and correct, no sheets to lie down. There were pebbles and bushes all around. Yet, I managed to achieve half-an-inch groupings with a rifle,' she says. 'I continued pre-medicine in 1963-1964 and my achievements in NCC and sports, along with my marks in Natural Science, helped me get through the MBBS interview for the Madurai Medical College, which unfortunately did not have an NCC wing in those days,' she adds.
After a long hiatus, she could reunite with her passion in the 1980s, thanks to her dad's reputation in the police force.
'Mr. Sripal, the then Commissioner of Police, Madras, recommended me for the selection trials in 1983 which was conducted by one Mr. Balashanmugham. I managed to secure 80% of the score required for membership to the Madras Rifle Club [now Chennai Rifle Club], where I joined in 1984,' she says. 'I started my practice with an open sight rifle in 1985 along with a few women shooters in the police department. Actor Nambiar's son Mr. Sukumaran was guiding me in the prone and three position,' Malathy recalls.
In 1985, Malathy took part in the .22 Open Sight Rifle (women) events in both the state meet and nationals conducted by the Madras Rifle Club and won gold.
'The same year also I started off with Peep Sight Rifle and represented Tamilnadu in the National Games in Delhi and won the team silver along with Ms. Roopa Unnikrishnan and Ms. Asha Rao,' she recalls.
'Besides rifle shooting, I also gave a hand to the pistol team with fellow shooters Lalitha and Varalakshmi and bagged the national team medals in Pistol and Air Pistol events,' Malathy says.
At the request of her mentor, Dr. Sivanthi Adityan, she began participating in the Shotgun events and became the first woman shooter to win medals in Trap and Double Trap events for the Chennai Rifle Club. From 1985 till date, Malathy says she has hardly missed any event, so much so that she has lost track of the number of medals she had won.
The septuagenarian, however, rues that her participation is now confined to state meets and zonal events as she has none from the Super Woman category to compete with in the Nationals, besides not having a rifle of her own. 'Till a few years ago, I had taken part in the mixed events, wherein I competed with male shooters and won gold,' she says.
And for someone with a shooting career spanning almost four decades, the decision to take part in competitions ignoring her rheumatoid arthritis pain has literally meant biting the bullet!