Shooter Vinita Bhardwaj wins gold at the World University Shooting Championship

When Vinita Bharadwaj fired at the women's 10m air rifle event at the World University Shooting Championship in Poland, she was taking a shot against several trials and tribulations. Bhardwaj scored a winning 206.0 against World No.1 Yi Siling of China, taking home the gold, while the Chinese player scored 205.6 to settle for the silver.

22-year-old Bhardwaj is a BA final year student of psychology at the DAV college of Chandigarh. She has a club foot and she has undergone four surgeries on her right foot in the last eight years. Even till a day before, she was suffering from severe pains which made it difficult for her to even stand on the day of the finals. But Bhardwaj did not lose spirit and took injections to make her able to stand during the competition and all her hard work paid off as she won the gold medal.

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“This medal has ended all the pain. I am standing with pride on the podium,” Vinita said after her triumph, reported TOI.

The Chinese player who she was up against is very experienced and has been an Olympic gold medallist in 2012 London Games and a bronze medallist in this year’s Rio Olympics.

Bhardwaj was initially denied entry in the Mission Olympics Programme of the Indian Army but she fought through it being an army child. She started her training in 2008 and today she stands undefeated even after 40% disability.

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The entire Indian team of 10m air rifle also won gold collectively including Simrat Chahal, Dilreen Gill and Bhardwaj all of who finished at the top. At the end of the event, India had already won five gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals.

Feature Image Credit: tribuneindia.com