Sport loves the underdogs. More so, when an athlete punches above his or her weight, whatever be the discipline, not necessarily boxing. The success story of Shriyanka Sadangi, from Sambalpur in Odisha, is also a case study. When the unassuming 29-year-old was picked to represent India in the rifle events – 10metre and 3position – at the Asian Championships in Changwon, South Korea, few shooting buffs were surprised.
When Shriyanka had finished fourth in one of the important trials before the Asian Championship last year, it was a clear sign she was ready to peak. Indian rifle shooting is blessed with an abundance of talent. From Sift Kaur Samra to the relatively younger ones like Mehuli Ghosh, Elavenil Valarivan and many more, the talent pool has great depth.
Yet, not many would have expected a girl from Sambalpur, fully supported by the Odisha state government, would showcase her killer instinct in Korea. There was pressure of expectation and going into an event where it was make-or-break, literally, Shriyanka could smile, finally.
Shriyanka was initially upset, as she had not won a medal. But when she stepped out of the shooting lane and walked back to the team base, where coaches and others welcomed her, the fourth-placed finish had sufficed. She had sealed the 13th quota place for India at the Paris Olympics, which was big. Till now, India have 19 quota places.
Sample this, Shriyanka has been a shooter for 14 years, yet her moment of fame came in 2023. Many would have chucked sport, leave alone look at the rifles. That she has been keeping herself in prime form in two events, 10m air and the highly technical 3 position means her fundamentals have been drilled in well.
All this does not happen overnight. Shooting looks so nice, viewed from the stands. To watch a freeze frame and an athlete squeezing the trigger looks so simple. No way. It needs patience, concentration and shutting out everything from the mind to fire at the shooting point. Had Shriyanka been thinking she had flopped for 13 years, she would have been psyched out.
#Trailblazers2Conclave: Know Your Panelist:
She won a @Paris2024 quota for India in 50m 3P with a 4th place finish at the Asian Shooting Championship @Shriyanka_India.Hailing from Sambalpur, Odisha, she’ll be present at the Trailblazers 2.0 to share her story. @TataSteelLtd pic.twitter.com/gtiPUHSIUc
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 15, 2024
Perhaps, being groomed in the sport by Deepali Deshpande, a well-known coach like Suma Shirur and the low-profile Anjali Bhagwat, Shriyanka’s dream was kept alive. Winning a quota place is just one part. The big challenge is if she can sustain form and keep the inner calm intact as two important trials will come up before the Paris Olympics.
Shriyanka does not waste too much time on social media etc, but what stands out is that she has stayed motivated. Shriyanka’s path was bumpy. “It isn’t easy to continue doing whatever you are doing without getting something that is considered milestones – medals in my case,” said Shriyanka last year.
“I would have stopped shooting if I didn’t have belief in myself and my shooting. I want to work as hard as I can to win one Olympic medal for all that I couldn’t,” said Shriyanka after the event in Korea, not holding back the tears.
It is indeed fantastic that Shriyanka will be part of the RevSportz’s TrailBlazer Conclave 2.0 in Kolkata on March 7 and 8. Shriyanka herself is a trailblazer. So what if she came into her own late, not in her teens. It’s never too late. Watch out, this girl will have some fantastic stories to share in Kolkata.
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