By Admin 
The moment of truth has finally arrived for Vidarsa K. Vinod, who is set to take aim at her first international shooting competition – the Asian Shooting championship in Kazakhstan in August.
Vidarsa earned her place to compete in the 50m rifle prone event after securing silver and bronze medals in the National shooting selection trials held in Dehradun last month. Vidarsa also won the gold in the 50m rifle 3-position at the National shooting trials, which featured a star-studded field that included former world championship silver medallist and two-time Olympian Anjum Moudgil, as well as World Cup silver medallist Nischal.
Vidarsa was in the reckoning for a place in the National squad after her consistent performances. The Asian Shooting championship is an important milestone in her career.
“I was in the Indian squad in 2024, but since 50m prone was not an Olympic event, I wasn’t able to take part in any international meets as the priority during the year was on Olympic events. The Asian Championships will be my first international meet and I am looking forward to doing well,’‘ said Vidarsa, who is currently ranked No. 2 in India in the 50m prone event.
Three years ago, Vidarsa shifted her base from Kerala to Delhi to train with National coach Manoj Kumar.
“I believe the decision to shift to Delhi was a wise one. I have been training under him for the last five years. He was very supportive and took only a token fee from me. However, shooting is an expensive sport, and with little support, I even thought of quitting. But things changed for the better when I came under the SAI’s NCOE scheme and the Olympic Gold Quest scheme. I could now concentrate on my training without worrying about the funds,’‘ she said.
Vidarsa is now working hard to improve her ranking in the 50m rifle 3 position and the 10m air rifle.
“I am currently ranked sixth in the 50m rifle 3 position, but I am happy with my form and confident of improving my rankings. I started concentrating recently on the 10m air rifle, but the competition is really tough in that event, and I am ranked 14th. I don’t have any equipment, and I am using a borrowed one… sometimes I face a shortage of ammunition. But I am training hard to be among the top shooters in the country, ‘‘ she said.