Karnataka shooters felicitated by KSRA

The Karnataka State Rifle Association organized a felicitation ceremony at the KSRA SAI shooting range here on Sunday, in which they awarded Divya TS, Tilottama Sen and Yukthi Rajendra for their international medal-winning exploits.

Indian shooters were on the money during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Out of the 107 medals Indians bagged in the Hangzhou Asian Games, an unprecedented total of 22 came from the shooting contingent.

Karnataka's Divya TS won silver medals in the 10m pistol mixed team event (with Sarabjot Singh) and the Women's 10m air pistol team event (With Palak Gulia and Esha Singh).

Divya's successful outing marks the latest chapter in a rich show of caliber by women shooters from the state, with the likes of Tilottama Sen, Yukthi Rajendra and Divya TS bringing laurels back with their performances. 

15-year-old Tilottama Sen won individual gold in the 15th Asian Air gun championship in Korea and team gold in the 10m air rifle junior women's event. She also won a historic team gold in the ISSF World Championship in Baku and in the 10m air rifle junior women event. Additionally, Tilottama clinched bronze in the ISSF World Cup in Cairo in the women's 10m air rifle event.

Yukthi Rajendra, 18, won the individual gold medal in the Air gun championship in Korea and team gold in the 10m air rifle youth event.

Tilottama was awarded a prize money of Rs 2,50,000, Yukthi Rs 1,50,000 and Divya TS Rs 1,10,000. 

"It is a dream for every athlete to take part (In Asian Games), and I was glad to get medals. The whole team is working hard and can expect better things in the future. We were on the right track the whole year. Back to back camps put us in the zone," said 28-year-old Divya on the sidelines of the felicitation event.

On how war rooms and sports science are bringing the best out of the shooters, Divya added, "We are doing regular bio-feedback sessions with the sports science team and it is really helping us out. Good to see this kind of change before the bigger events."

Divya and Sarabjot went shot for shot in a thrilling mixed team final against the mighty Chinese duo of Bowen Zhang and Ranxin Jiang. Divya recounted her experience, "I gave my 100% in every shot. Unfortunate that we could not get the gold but happy the way I shot in that final. It gives me a lot of confidence to perform in upcoming championships."

"I was mentally prepared to shoot against any team and any condition. Maintaining a consistent performance in every competition is very important. The goal is to be on the podium," said Divya, who will next participate in the Asian Shooting Championships along with Tilottama. 

Tilottama, currently ranked ninth in the world in the ISSF women's 10m air rifle national ranking, has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the ranks and is one of India's brightest shooting prospects.

"I started shooting in 2020 during the lockdown. My screen-time was a lot and my dad pushed me to start shooting. I always try to improve myself constantly, and am eyeing an Olympic quota in the Asian Shooting Championships," said Tilottama. 

"We receive training from both Indian and foreign coaches in our Delhi camp. Congrats to them (Asiad shooting medal winners), their experience matters a lot and we get to learn new techniques and other technical aspects with respect to shooting. We hope to emulate their success," said Yukthi.