Shooter Samra eyes bigger goals after breakthrough season

Shooter Sift Kaur Samra could not have hoped for a better end to her season when she won her first National title in 50m rifle three positions (3P) in Thiruvananthapuram this week. Samra is enjoying a breakthrough season. It was only last year that she broke into the India junior team and participated at the Junior World Championships in Peru. Since then she has been a constant fixture in rifle three positions in junior and senior India teams because of her consistent showing.

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In a short span, she has stamped her class in domestic events. After winning the gold medal at the National Games in October, she stepped up in the National Championships, taking gold in a quality field including seasoned Anjum Moudgil and Mehuli Ghosh.

“When I made it to the India team for the first time last year, it was a good start. But I realised I have to work harder to stay in this Indian team. To win a gold medal in Nationals at the end of the year is great,” said the 21-year-old.

The shooter from Punjab won a clutch of medals at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl in May including the individual gold medal in 3P.

“That was my first final and it gave me a lot of confidence. I remind myself of the way I had played there whenever I am in a final. It was big for me to come back with five medals and that kind of pushed me to do better.”

However, she did not fare that well at the World Championships in Cairo – her first major event that was also offering a quota for the Paris Olympics. Samra came back determined to learn from the setback.

“In Cairo, the conditions were really tough. It was very windy and it affected me. I lost my confidence but I learned a lot about how to control my emotions and getting back my confidence. It helped me manage myself better in Kerala,” Samra, who is coached by former international Deepali Deshpande, said.

It is not only shooting that keeps Samra occupied. Being a first-year MBBS student, she has her hands full. With a busy international season staring at her, Samra has to take a tough call on whether to focus on her sport or studies.

She is, however, certain that next year, it will be the Olympic qualifiers that will be her priority.

“My parents wanted me to take up the medical stream. I was in the Cairo World Cup when I got the news of my MBBS selection. I never knew that I would be competing in so many international events this year and it has been tough to focus on my shooting and studies, especially with back-to-back matches.”

“My parents are very supportive. I think I will give one year to shooting. I am working hard and results are coming. Till the Paris Olympics, I will give myself a chance and then see from there how my career pans out.”

Bright start

Samra, who hails from Faridkot, had never been to a shooting range before a family friend introduced her to the sport when she was in Class 9. So thrilled was she that Samra decided it was shooting that she wanted to pursue. Her businessman father even made a 50m range consisting of paper targets in their house.

“Early in my career, I won medals in state championships and north zone events across junior, youth, and senior categories. From that point on, I just wanted to win more medals. I never topped my class in studies, but at the range, I was on the podium.”

From a state medallist to a national champion and one of India’s top shooters, Samra has covered the ground fast.

"This was a season full of surprises, be it making the India team, competing in so many international matches, winning medals, and getting selected for MBBS," she concluded.

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