Bengaluru: ‘I forget my disability while shooting,’ says Para Shooting World Cup gold medallist Sriharsha Devaraddi

Speaking to indianexpress.com from Paris, Devaraddi said, “I was a sportsman back in my college days and used to play badminton. However, after my accident, I felt the need to support myself and joined an NGO as a programme associate to conduct skill development classes. But the sportsman within me kept nudging me. I realized I would not fit into physically demanding sports. That is when I thought I should pursue shooting, where I could aim and shoot from a wheelchair,” said Devaraddi, who joined a shooting academy in Hubballi in 2017.

Devaraddi later moved to Bengaluru to avail better training facilities, as he realised that the training academy in Hubballi lacked certified shooters. “I moved to Bengaluru because the shooting academy in Hubballi offered substandard training. It affected my performance and I was forced to relocate to Bengaluru. Most of my training expenses were covered from my parents’ pension and my wife, Shobha, has also been very supportive. We moved to Bengaluru and stayed in a PG because our finances were not strong,” said Devaraddi, who later started training under shooter Rakesh Manpat.

Devaraddi was advised to train under the SH2 category meant for amputees and those affected by spinal cord injury. “It was very difficult for me to press the trigger because my hands did not have any strength. However, the flexibility in the guidelines of the International Paralympic Committee and the provision for use of extensions and spring stands helped me. My wife is my loader and she has contributed more than 50 per cent to my victories.”

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Devaraddi won a bronze medal on his debut in the National Para-shooting championship in 2017-18. In the following year, he won two silver medals in the National Championships. He also won two silver medals at the IWAS (International Wheelchair Amputee Sports) World Games 2019 held in Sharjah. He participated in World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) World Cup held in Osijek, Croatia, in July 2019 and qualified for the WSPS World Championship held in Sydney, Australia, in 2019, as part of the Indian contingent.

Devaraddi was selected by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and also became a certified para shooter.

He participated in the 50m rifle event at the para shooting world cup Friday but secured a lower ranking. “The rifles you need for 50m are of higher range, and they cannot be easily accessed. The export regulations for these rifles are tough and I had to borrow the rifle from a fellow participant,” said Devaraddi.

Talking about his takeaways so far from para shooting, he said, “Shooting has taught me to test my capabilities and see how far I can go. When I am shooting, I forget my disability and that I am on a wheelchair. All that I see is my target. I would like to appeal to the National Rifle Association of India to encourage para shooters and support their training, access to higher range of rifles and also regulate shooting academies comprising certified trainers.”