Ayushi Podder Biography

When shooters take the rifle and aim it at a target, the only thing that matters is their goal. All else is a blur. When the thought of winning a lot of money in their heads, their instincts will trigger. If their years of waking upearly, putting in more hours to training and giving up your favorite food were worth it is to be decided in this moment. It is to this moment that 19-year-old Ayushi Podder is training for!

Each time Ayushi is shooting, her aim is much more than the "Bullseye" shot. Ayushi aims to get an Podium Finish! Each time she puts her finger on the trigger, she fires the bullet toward her goal of the Olympic medal hung around her neck , with the tri-colored flag flying over her.

Aayushi is a junior rifle shooter , and the most recent young sensation in shooting from India to make waves in the field, following Manu Bhaker and Gayathri nityanadam, Mehuli Ghosh and others. Born on the 23rd day of October in 1999, Aayushi comes from Sheoraphuli, Hooghly of West Bengal.

Aayushi's enthusiasm and skill in shooting stem through her father Pankaj Podder, who himself is an former Indian shooter and International Shooting Sport Federation ( ISSF) certified accredited coach.

Schooling Days And Sacrificed Dreams

Aayushi was completely dedicated to her the study of her years during her time at Techno Indian Public School. It was surprising that even though she was exposed to sports at an early age, she displayed very little or zero passion for shooting.

As a child, Aayushi was seven years old, she was able to create a portfolio with the hope of becoming an actor or model. Aayushi also attended dance classes at a Classical Odisha style and participated in school-related events.

At the time of her life, Pankaj used to travel across states to participate in matches. Aayushi was not aware that one day she'd follow in his path. As a scholar who excelled in school, Aayushi wished to study MBBS when she was a teenager.

Start of Shooting Career

Things turned a bit shortly after her father asked her to try shooting. Pankaj spoke about his goal of watching his daughter follow in his steps. "When the daughter I had was only five year old, I was thinking that she could become the next shooter Olympic gold medalist" Pankaj explains.

Soon after, she began to train to help her father. Within seven days of acquiring her air rifle Ayushi became a national champion!

"It it was the first time I competed in a time competing which was also my first time being a winner!" she declares, her excitement clearly evident in her voice. Her first major win spurred Junior Podder to take up shooting.

With her father's strong support that was a guarantee, there was no turning back. As the years passed, Aayushi immersed herself into the sport and found an exciting new sport to be a bleeder for. With her determination and drive in shooting her school's principal and teachers also began to lend their support to her as she embarked on her next adventure.

However, to be successful in the field of shooting the perfect shot, an athlete must have the highest concentration. For Ayushi her concentration and focus came effortlessly. This is the reason she was able to get excellent marks. "I'm proficient in academics. Concentration and focus are crucial and these two qualities have helped me shoot quite a bit."

Ayushi is also awed by the importance of perfection in both her sporting and personal everyday life. When she was in the beginning of her practicing, she's father told herthat "Ayushi is the only one who can take a best sight picture". These words have been a huge help to her in her international career. They've been incorporated into her brain. "Perfection is essential," she tells.

After winning the state championship, Ayushi won the pre-national championship in junior-senior youth the month following. Within one calendar year Aayushi has secured her place at the Indian team camp. She was soon a part of the Asian air gun team, and within a year, she won her first gold medal in international competition at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2016, Suhl, Germany.

The challenges faced by Indian athletes

The life of an athlete India isn't as simple. It's true that Ayushi isn't an exception. She has a lot of unremarkable stories to share from her trips to various locations to compete in tournaments. One such incident occurred upon returning from Asian Junior Championship in Doha, Qatar.

Ayushi along with her group been able to land at 5 am at New Delhi from a long and exhausting flight. This is when she finds out that she will be competing in the 11 AM slot for competing in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event at the All India Inter-University Championship. In the midst of sleep and hunger the young shooter took part in the competition and won bronze.

After she spoke about this event, Ayushi opened up about her feelings without regret. She is not blaming her fatigue or sleep deprivation for her loss. She also does not blame lack of planning and organisation by the organizers.

This morning, Aayushi laughs it off. This is another item on a lengthy list of organizational and structural issues athletes have experienced and are facing within the sport's ecosystem in India.

At the time of the World Championship in Changwon, Korea, Ayushi had to endure a gap of eight days from the time she arrived until match day. She was unable to train for the entire eight days because of the scheduling of other events. Additionally, her rifle was outdated. It was a terrible experience in the contest.

And to make matters even more difficult Ayushi's father as well as her coach was not able to join her on a trip due to financial problems. This is a common issue facing athletes in India in the present. The athletes are in financial straits to purchase equipment, travel for training, eat nutritious food and many more.

The balance between shooting and education

While juggling academics, shooting lessons and traveling around the world for sporting events, her grade in school didn't drop. After graduating from high school she decided to pursue the field of Humanities and was able to take time to devote her time to the study of her subject and shooting.

Presently, Ayushi Podder is pursuing her undergrad degree in Public Administration at Punjab University at the same at the same time as she trains and participates in competitions. But, Ayushi believes that it wouldn't have been possible without the help of her college and the management.

Ayushi has no attendance bar because of her inclusion in the Sports Quota. She can exercise all year long and only attends to write tests. In some cases, when competitions or selections conflict with her tests and the college schedules special dates to allow her to take the test.

A moment in the daily life Ayushi Podder

As her father did, Ayushi travels a lot. All through each year Ayushi is a participant in at minimum ten competitions in her country. In addition, there are trials for selection, and up or three competitions internationally each year. Apart from her travels to various competitions, she often goes to Delhi to train in Dr Karni Shooting range. Dr Karni Shooting range, since it's the only place in which she is able to train in the 50m categories.

Ayushi must also travel to Chandigarh for university every day. Between training, competitions, and college, she's not capable of staying at her home.

A typical day for the youthful shooter in West Bengal begins at 5.30 am. She gets up, wakes up, and enjoys a gentle warming-up. At 7.30 am, Aayushi is on the breakfast table. After breakfast, she departs to train.

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