Asian Games-bound rifle shooter Vidarsa K Vinod has come a long way from picking up a rifle through the NCC in 2018 to earning a place in India’s squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, overcoming financial difficulties, limited access to equipment and thoughts of quitting along the way.
The 27-year-old from Kozhikode will compete in the women’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3-positions events at the Asian Games, targeting her first individual international medal.
Her ambitions, however, extend beyond the continental event.
“My biggest dream is to become World No. 1. I want to discover my full potential and keep improving every time I step onto the range,” Vidarsa said.
Financial Struggles Nearly Ended Her Journey
Vidarsa’s journey has been shaped by financial challenges from the beginning. Her father works as a contractor while her mother is a homemaker, and pursuing shooting at the highest level often proved difficult for the family.
She initially joined shooting through the NCC simply to experience the sport and possibly improve her chances of securing a government job. But her performances soon convinced her that she could build a career in the discipline.
“When I became the aggregate champion at the Kerala State Championship despite training with borrowed equipment, I realised this was the sport I wanted to pursue,” she said.
Shooting equipment, travel and competition expenses placed a considerable burden on her family.
“There were times when my parents couldn’t afford to travel with me to competitions, so I started travelling alone,” she recalled.
In 2021, Vidarsa bought her first rifle, an investment she considers one of the biggest sacrifices made by her parents for her career.
Pandemic Created Another Roadblock
The COVID-19 pandemic brought another major setback.
Vidarsa had been training with a rifle owned by her association, but lockdown restrictions left her without access to a weapon and brought her shooting career close to a standstill.
Despite being unable to shoot, she continued preparing physically.
“I couldn’t shoot, but I never stopped training. I focused on fitness, yoga and meditation because I knew I had to be ready whenever the opportunity returned,” she said.
Her journey also received important support from fellow rifle shooter Manu S Ravi, whom she later married. Manu, now a shooting coach, encouraged her to invest in her own equipment and continue pursuing her ambitions.
“He once asked me, ‘Why don’t you own a rifle?’ At first, I laughed because buying one wasn’t financially possible. But he made me realise that if I truly believed in my dream, I had to take that step,” Vidarsa said.
Move To Delhi Brings Fresh Challenge
Vidarsa won her first national medal in 2022 and subsequently moved to Delhi in search of a more competitive training environment.
She began training at the Karni Singh Range while managing life away from home on her own.
“Living alone in Delhi wasn’t easy. I had to cook for myself, manage everything on my own and continue training every day. There were moments when it became physically and mentally exhausting, but I knew these sacrifices were necessary if I wanted to represent India,” she said.
The pressure eventually reached a peak in early 2024.
Financial difficulties and a series of near misses left Vidarsa contemplating whether to continue with the sport.
“I had almost decided to quit. But my family, my husband and my coach never stopped believing in me, even when I was losing belief in myself,” she recalled.
NCOE Support Changes Everything
A major turning point came later in 2024 when Vidarsa joined the National Centre of Excellence run by the Sports Authority of India.
The facility provided her with training, accommodation, nutrition and ammunition, removing several of the financial and logistical obstacles that had previously affected her preparation.
“Getting into the SAI NCOE changed everything. It removed many of the worries that had been holding me back,” she said.
The support allowed Vidarsa to concentrate more fully on her training and competition, eventually helping her break into the Asian Games-bound Indian squad.
Her only international medal so far is a silver in the 50m rifle prone team event at last year’s Asian Championships.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will therefore represent an opportunity to take the next major step in her career and compete for an individual international medal.
Competing Against Herself
Despite now training alongside some of India’s leading shooters, Vidarsa does not see her fellow competitors as her biggest challenge.
Instead, she believes her focus should remain on her own performance and maintaining the process that has taken her from NCC shooting to the Asian Games.
“I don’t compete against other shooters. I compete against myself. My focus is always on following my process and becoming a better version of myself. If I do that consistently, the results will come,” she said.
For a shooter who once relied on borrowed equipment and travelled alone because her family could not always afford the costs of competition, an Asian Games selection is already a significant milestone.
But Vidarsa is not satisfied with simply making the squad. With her sights set on the world No. 1 ranking, she now hopes her difficult journey will culminate in a medal on the biggest stage of her career so far.
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