In a quiet corner of her school ground, the sound of air rifles once caught the attention of a young spectator. Curious, she picked one up — just for fun. That moment marked the beginning of a journey that would crown her a world champion at the ISSF Junior World Cup six years later.
That girl is Ojasvi Thakur from Haryana, now a proud student of Learning Paths School, Mohali, Punjab. At just 16, she brought glory to the nation by clinching the gold medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup held recently in New Delhi.
Leading an all-India sweep of the podium in the 10m Air Rifle Junior Women’s event, Ojasvi delivered a phenomenal score of 252.7, firing two perfect 10.9s on her 8th and 16th shots to seal the title. Hrudya Shri Kondur took silver with 250.2, while qualification leader Shambhavi Kshirsagar settled for bronze with 229.4.
“It has been a long journey,” Ojasvi shared, speaking after her maiden international gold. “After winning silver earlier this year in the same event, I was determined to convert it into gold, which I finally did.”
Before discovering shooting, she dabbled in basketball and athletics, but never truly found her calling — until she held a rifle. “It was love at first sight. Since then, there’s been no looking back,” she smiled. Currently in Class XI, she balances academics with training, ranking among the top five students in her class.
Also read: India make clean sweep in women’s 10m air rifle
Behind her rise is the mentorship of former Indian Olympian Suma Shirur, under whom she has been training at the Lakshya shooting club in Navi Mumbai for the past two years. “Ojasvi is a rare talent,” said her coach Shirur. “She’s committed, disciplined and willing to correct her flaws — qualities that set her apart at such a young age.”
Her parents, businessman Munish Thakur and homemaker Sudha, have been her pillars of strength. “Parental support is crucial, and Ojasvi is fortunate to have it in abundance,” added Shirur.
During qualifiers, the Indian trio had already stamped their authority, finishing as the top three — Shambhavi leading with 632.0, followed closely by Ojasvi at 631.9 and Hrudya at 629.8. Croatia’s Anamarija Turk, the only foreigner in the final eight, fought hard, but was placed fourth with 206.6.
From an accidental first shot to the world podium, Ojasvi’s story is a reminder that sometimes greatness begins with simple curiosity, followed by relentless dedication.
By Joe Williams
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