C. Kavi Rakshana, a Plus Two completed student from Madurai, who is expecting to join a medical college, has secured a silver medal in 10 metre air rifle shooting at the ongoing XVIII Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship, a key national-level championship organised by National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), in New Delhi.
The girl, who won the competition in the junior women’s category, is the only person to qualify from Tamil Nadu for participating in the national-level competition in the particular category.
In December 2017, the 18-year-old girl had won a bronze as part of a three-member team at the 10th Asian Airgun Championship in Japan.
The achievements, according to her parents, has been made despite the absence of a coach. “She regularly practices at Madurai Rifle Club (MRC), where its secretary S. Vel Shankar and Quarter Master P. Ramachandran help her,” said Rani Chakkaravarthy, the girl’s mother.
Kavi Rakshana’s entry into shooting was almost accidental. “It is my younger sister, who wanted to get into shooting and joined MRC. When I went with my parents to register her at the club, I thought I can also give it a try. I was entering Class 7 then,” she said.
The turning point came when she subsequently participated at a State-level competition in Coimbatore. “Everyone who went from Madurai except me won a medal. Until then, I was taking the sport as a hobby. The failure made me determined to prove myself. From then on, I’ve got completely hooked to the sport,” she added.
Her achievements is not restricted to shooting alone. Being a CBSE student, she has scored an impressive 474 marks in Plus Two and 420 in National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET), which is likely to secure her a seat in her preferred Madurai Medical College.
“Because of her good NEET score, she has decided not to opt for sports quota so that another deserving student can avail it,” Ms. Rani said.
Need for a coach
For Kavi Rakshana, the impediment for her to reach greater heights is the lack of a coach. “In States such as Gujarat, the government is arranging coaches for the top-performing players along with other facilities. In our State, some people who can afford are engaging coaches on their own. However, it is very expensive,” Ms. Rani said.
Stating that the girl had the potential to represent the country at international events, including the Olympics, she appealed to the State government to assist the girl.
