Bhopal's Varsha 'traps' gold in national shooting event
Dec 26, 2012 (Menafn - Hindustan Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Bhopal-based star shooter Varsha Varman is the new national junior shooting champion. Eighteen-year-old Varsha won a gold medal in the trap event in the 56th National Shooting Championship organised at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges at Tuglakabad, New Delhi. Having scored 58.2 points to emerge the winner in the championship, Varsha also qualified for international events in the junior and senior category. Elated at her success, Varman is, however, disappointed that she is receiving no support from the state government for proper training unlike shooters from other states.
A former student of St Joseph's Co-ed School, Varman has taken a break from studies this year to concentrate on her passion and her decision seems to have paid off. She emerged victorious in the national championship with a score of 58.2 points leaving Malika Wig and Mahima Kumar Mahajan behind. Wig scored 56.3 and Mahajan 53 points to win the silver and bronze medal respectively.
Varsha defeated many senior shooters including the olympian Shagun Choudhary in the course of the chamiponship and also earned the distinction of achieving the minimum qualification score (58) required to participate in international senior competitions.
Varsha, who returned to Bhopal on Monday, was elated at her victory. Talking about the junior championship, she said, "It's my first big step towards success. Like any other athlete, my dream is to win a gold medal for India in Olympics."
"It's a great achievement for me because I won the medal without any training. For the past one year, I am not training anywhere. I don't know why but I am not getting any support from Madhya Pradesh government. I met a large number of shooters in the competition and most of them have support of their government. I need monetary support from the government to get higher level of training abroad."
I think the good result is because of my training in Italy which I managed with my own expenses a year ago. I got assurance several times from the sports department. Hopefully, after winning this medal, they will help me in honing my skills, she said.
Varsha may have taken a break from studies now but she is as good in studies as her favourite sport-shooting. She had topped the Ajmer region (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat) CBSE Class 12 exams scoring 97.2% in 2012. She is positioned 4th at all-India level in the Commerce stream. She was honoured by governor Ram Naresh Yadav and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier this year for her performance in sports as well as academics.
Besides, in the 12th Asian Championship held in Doha, Qatar in January, 2012, Varsha had won silver medal for India in the junior event.
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