Punjab woman shooting ace trains without coach

Heena blamed the authorities for not doing enough to encourage more and more shooters to engage in the sport more seriously. “It’s been almost two years that I have been practising at my house and that too without a coach despite being a national champion,” said the 21-year-old shooter.

“I feel the Sports Authority of India is to be blamed for ignoring our plight is and not the federation,which is the authority for appointing coaches,” she said.

Heena said had the SAI helped them with better coaching facilities,air pistol shooters could have been more successful. “The National Rifle Association of India never allows a gap of even a month for their shooters,and here,it has been over 18 months since our last coach went back,” she said.

Despite low volumes of training,within a short span of time,she has established herself as a world class shooter. The Punjab-based shooter had captured the headlines by winning a silver medal in women’s air pistol event in a world tournament in Beijing,and by finishing fourth in the World Cup at USA,where she missed bronze by a whisker.

“I like tough competitions,particularly finals. I began serious training when I was studying in Class 12 (2006). My father was a big support for me all throughout,” she said.

Heena’s father,Rajbir Singh Sidhu,who is an officer with the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department,said he always wanted to support his daughter in whatever she did. “When she told me that she was serious about shooting,there was no turning back,” Sidhu told Newsline.