Jaipur, Nov 27 (IANS):
When Sakshi Padekar first dreamed of becoming a shooter, even renting a rifle or buying basic ammunition felt out of reach. Her parents were forced to mortgage her mother’s jewellery just to help her begin training. Today, the 22-year-old daughter of a security guard from Pune has turned those struggles into triumph, winning gold in the women’s 10m Air Rifle individual event at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) Rajasthan 2025. She also guided Lovely Professional University to a team victory.
What makes the win even more impressive is that this is Sakshi’s first major achievement in the 10m Air Rifle category. Until recently, she focused primarily on the 50m Rifle event, which she took up during her National Cadet Corps (NCC) days.
“I knew I had to remain calm to have the perfect shot,” Sakshi told SAI Media, her voice filled with emotion after securing the gold. “I focused on my goal and practiced relentlessly for this day, and it finally paid off.”
Sakshi hails from Alephata village, about 2.5 hours from Pune. Her family moved to the city in search of better opportunities, and Sakshi explored several sports — including judo and taekwondo — before discovering shooting during an NCC camp held soon after the COVID-19 lockdown.
But pursuing shooting outside the NCC came with financial barriers.
“I was driven by my passion and my parents’ sacrifices. They always told me never to give up. At one point, we rented rifles worth nearly Rs 40,000 a month, plus ammunition. It felt impossible, but my parents managed to support me for around eight months until the Gagan Narang Sports Foundation noticed me and offered a lifeline,” she said.
The Foundation awarded her a LEAP scholarship that changed the trajectory of her career. In 2024, Sakshi won gold in the 50m Rifle 3-Position event at the Maharashtra State Shooting Championships in both junior and senior categories. She also earned a junior individual silver at the Nationals and represented India at the 2024 Junior World Championships in Peru.
Earlier this year, a wrist injury disrupted her training, but Sakshi remained determined to deliver a strong performance in Jaipur — especially after managing only a team bronze at KIUG Guwahati last year.
“That performance last year gave me confidence that I could compete at the highest level. Winning gold here feels like just the beginning. I hope to excel in both the 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle events going forward,” she added.
