India’s elite rifle shooter Mehuli Ghosh shifts base from Kolkata to Hyderabad

Mehuli Ghosh has quit the Joydeep Karmakar Shooting Academy in Kolkata. West Bengal’s 20-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medalist in women’s 10m air rifle is now moving to Hyderabad instead.

Mehuli’s mentor Joydeep Karmakar said she will train at Hyderabad’s Gun for Glory Shooting Academy next month. The Hyderabad’s training center is under the aegis of Gagan Narang, an Olympic bronze medalist in the men's 10m air rifle.

Mehuli was the star attraction of Joydeep’s training center in Kolkata. She has excelled both domestically and internationally since 2016. Her shifting to Hyderabad would certainly hurt Joydeep.

“I had guided Mehuli in her formative years of shooting career. She is 20 years old now and big enough to make her own decisions. If she wants to train at another place, it’s up to her. I can’t stop her,” said Joydeep on the development.

Joydeep, who finished fourth in the men’s 50m prone rifle event at the 2012 London Olympic Games, has mentored Mehuli. Technically Bibaswan Ganguly has been overseeing her training.

Bibaswan joined the Gun for Glory Shooting Academy in Hyderabad last month. This could have been the reason for Mehuli to shift to Hyderabad and continue to train under Bibaswan.

Mehuli is one of several young shooters selected for next month’s International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru.

The national camp is expected to start on September 15 at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges. The Junior World Championship is scheduled to be held from September 27 to October 10 in Lima.

Joydeep said he doesn’t have any idea about Mehuli’s future roadmap as she will be training in Hyderabad next month.

“There wasn’t any concrete plan due to the pandemic. The next month’s Junior World Championship in Lima will be a big opportunity for all young shooters to make a comeback. It will be Mehuli’s first major tournament of the year. But she will be one to watch during the 2022 season,” added Joydeep.

Barring a few, almost all the shooters across India couldn’t train on expected lines due to the pandemic.

Mehuli Ghosh did not participate in Tokyo

After winning silver in women’s 10m air rifle at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Mehuli was expected to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games. However, her overall fifth ranking in the women’s 10m air rifle at the domestic level in 2020 spoiled Mehuli's chances of making the cut for the Olympics.

An official at the Gun for Glory Shooting Academy said it will take time to chalk out future plans as Mehuli hasn’t competed in a major tournament this year.

“We want Mehuli to adjust to the new environment as she is shifting from Kolkata to Hyderabad. We will also keep track of her performance in upcoming Junior World Championships and then chalk out future programme,” said the official of the Gun for Glory Shooting Academy.