All of 19 years old, junior Rifle shooter Gaaythri Nithyanandam has made an early impression by winning the bronze at the Junior World Cup in Suhl. Speaking to Sportskeeda in an interview, the shooter spoke about the beginnings, how she balances studies and shooting and more.
Excerpts:
1.Can you tell us a bit about how and when you developed an interest in shooting?
A: It was in 2009 when I was 13 years old, I was in a summer camp for shooting so there I picked up the sport.
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2.Who is your role model and why so?
A: As such I don't have any role model but all the shooters I see, I like to take the positives from them. I admire all the shooters in a certain way.
3.How supportive have your parents in your ambitions of becoming a shooter?
A: They are really supportive. The equipment is quite expensive when it comes to the sport. But they have never said anything and always said that I can buy whichever I want and my mother or father travels with me for all the competitions.
4..How have you managed to balance your studies along with your shooting?
A: I don't give more time to my studies but when I do study, I ensure I do with utmost concentration and that help me.
5.What kind of role have your junior coaches played in your development as a shooter?
The junior coaches of the Indian team are very supportive and their major focus is on the basics. Whenever we go on tour, they take care of us like their own children.
6.You won the bronze in the Women’s 50m Rifle prone event at the Junior World Cup. What were the emotions that you went through when you won it?
A: I was feeling happy, but I didn’t give space for too much for emotions because the next day I had another match. Had I got too excited, I believed that it would have affected my next match. So I tried to forget that I had won the medal.
7.Away from the range, what are your other hobbies?
A: Away from the range, I do play a bit of veena. Shooting itself takes a lot of time, but I also like travelling to different places in the world.
8.Finally, what are your goals for the remainder of 2016?
A:Tomorrow we are heading for a junior international and presently my focus is on that.Also, I would like to develop myself on the physical front as well, as it would complement my shooting.
