11-05-2025
Teen rifle shooter Shambhavi making a big mark
New Delhi: Teenage sensations are becoming the norm in Indian rifle and pistol shooting. Close on the heels of 18-year-old air pistol shooter Suruchi Phogat's fine run at the recent World Cups in Buenos Aires and Lima, the rifle discipline has thrown up a fresh talent.
The women's 10m air rifle competition has in the past few years emerged as a fiercely fought discipline in the domestic ranges with Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita Jindal, Mehuli Ghosh, Anjum Moudgil and Tilottama Sen routinely testing each other.
In the past fortnight, this club seems to have got a new entrant in 16-year-old Shambhavi Kshirsagar. The Kolhapur-born shooter has been competing in junior and youth events since 2018 but her performances are now gaining attention at the top level. The reason for that is her three medals at last month's Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial (KSSM) competition in Delhi where she shot gold in senior and youth events and silver in the junior competition.
Shambhavi's form stood out at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar as well. She won the individual title on Thursday and the mixed team event with Parth Mane the next day, warming up nicely for the Junior World Cup in Munich (May 19-27).
'The KSSM win in the seniors was a big confidence boost as it came against high quality competition. It will hold in good stead for the junior World Cup,' Shambhavi said. The field included Ramita, a Paris Olympics finalist and Asian Games bronze medallist, and Mehuli, who is a World Championships bronze medallist. The final also featured reigning national champion Ananya Naidu.
Shambhavi took up shooting as a 10-year-old, fascinated by 'big guns' in action in the movies. 'I guess I was always drawn to the thrill. I also took up karate for a while but decided on rifle shooting as it appeared cool.' Shambhavi's shooting career began when her father Shravan -- currently posted as District Commissioner in Solapur, Maharashtra – took her to Dudhali Shooting Range in Kolhapur.
'The sound of pellets got me hooked. I drew inspiration from Abhinav Bindra as everyone spoke of his focus and commitment. I was born the year he shot gold at the Beijing Olympics and I hope to carry forward his legacy.'
Success arrived at the Maharashtra State Shooting Championship last year when she swept the senior, junior, youth and sub-junior titles, and then finished third at the Junior World Cup in Granada.
Her biggest learning though was at last year's Junior World Championships in Lima where she finished fifth. 'It was a weird competition. They had qualification in the morning and the final in the evening. Usually, the two rounds are bunched. The weather and the arrangements far from ideal,' said Dikshant Jadhav, Shambhavi's coach who had travelled with the squad.
'They didn't have an indoor 10m range so they converted the 50m range with some makeshift arrangements. That did little to stop the cold breeze. We were supposed to warm up in a tent and a steady drizzle didn't help. My fingers froze and I was barely able to keep myself warm,' Shambhavi said.
'Later, I told myself that if I was able to shoot there, I can shoot well anywhere. I think I shot my best that day, results notwithstanding.'
Jadhav, also a range in-charge at Delhi's Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, spotted Shambhavi's talent and began coaching over phone and video calls. Her scores though continued to fluctuate. After a below-par performance at the National Games, the Class 11 student shifted base to Delhi.
The coach began by fixing her stance and making subtle changes to her rifle setting. 'She is 5'7' which means her stance was anyway wide, but I noticed that it was putting stress on her lower back,' Jadhav said. Gradually he straightened her stance until the ideal centre of gravity was achieved. Then her Monotec Walther rifle was changed for Walther Itec, which provides better weight distribution and trigger control. She will switch to the new rifle post the Junior World Cup.
Jadhav has laid out the long-term plan for his ward. With quota competitions for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics starting next year, he plans to enter Shambhavi in more senior competitions to give her a better chance of breaking into the first team.
'It won't be easy considering the competition at home is truly world class, but we are confident,' he said.
