Against all odds, Rewari teen brings home Asian shooting medals

Chahak Yadav, daughter of Haryana Police Havildar Sunil Kumar and a Class XII student at PM Shri Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Rewari, has proved the old adage — “Where there is a will, there is a way.”

Chahak has brought laurels to the country by winning the silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Youth Women’s category and the gold medal as a member of the Indian team at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Shooting Championship 2026.

She scored 574 out of 600 points at the international event, held from February 2 to 14 at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi, which saw participation from 315 shooters representing 20 Asian countries.

Notably, Chahak was selected in the junior category for the same championship last year but could not participate due to financial constraints.

“As per the policy of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), participants in the junior category have to bear the expenses themselves. Chahak could not participate in last year’s event because of financial constraints and had even decided to quit the sport. But I and her fellow players urged her not to give up. Eventually, her relentless efforts bore fruit and she bagged the silver medal in this year’s championship,” said Chahak’s coach, Raman Rao.

Chahak credits her achievement to her coach, father and teammates. However, her coach maintains that her success is the result of her sincerity and firm determination.

“Chahak’s achievement is the outcome of her dedication and discipline. She has been training at my academy for several years,” said Coach Rao, highlighting that his academy’s player Priyanshu Yadav also won a gold medal at the Asian Shooting Championship, while 62-year-old homemaker Sushma Yadav recently won a gold medal at the National Shooting Championship.

A felicitation ceremony was held at the Rao Shooting Academy in Sector 4, Rewari, to honour the talented sportspersons who have brought glory to the country and the region by winning medals.

Rewari MLA Laxman Singh Yadav was the chief guest at the event, while special guests included Dr Ramavtar Lamba, a senior functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), local social activist Bhupender Khola, Haryana Civil Medical Service Association president Dr. Anil Yadav and former HAU professor Dr MS Yadav.

Praising the achievements of the shooting stars, MLA Yadav said the sportspersons hail from rural areas and have achieved success at both national and international levels, which is inspiring for the youth. The MLA also congratulated coach Rao and lauded his efforts.

“Today, girls are bringing glory to the country in every field, and the government is constantly striving to promote their talent. The entire region is proud of the athletes’ achievements,” he said.