MAKING OF A CHAMPION

Becoming an Olympic gold medallist is no easy feat. For coaches, the process is a long and arduous journey that demands immense dedication, perseverance, and skill.

It is especially challenging when the task involves taking a para-athlete from ground zero and guiding them to the Olympic medal podium. This is a feat not many have accomplished, but Maharashtra’s senior shooting coach and former Olympian, Suma Shirur, has proven that it is possible. Through her efforts, she has given India and the world a remarkable shooter in the form of Avani Lekhara.

Avani, a 23-year-old shooter from Rajasthan, made history when she became the first Indian athlete to win consecutive gold medals in shooting at the Paralympic Games. Her victory was not just a personal achievement but a historic moment for Indian sports. Avani became India’s first athlete to clinch a gold medal in an individual event at the Paralympics. Under Suma’s meticulous guidance, she secured a gold and bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, followed by another stunning gold at the recently concluded Paralympic Games in Paris. Developing a para-athlete from scratch and leading them to the pinnacle of the sport is an enormous challenge. It involves not just physical training but emotional and psychological preparation as well. For Suma Shirur, coaching a para-athlete was unfamiliar territory.