Dr. Jitender Singh felicitates Shooting Prodigy of J&K Aneesha Sharma

New Delhi, November 3: At a special ceremony held today at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi. Dr. Jitender Singh celebrated Aneesha Sharma’s remarkable achievement at the esteemed Asian Shooting Championships in Changwon, Korea. Aneesha’s outstanding performance secured her a Team Bronze Medal in the highly competitive Youth Women’s Rifle category. This victory not only earned her the opportunity to represent India at the Asian Shooting Championship but also etched her name in history as the first female shooter from Jammu & Kashmir to achieve such a remarkable feat.
Dr. Jitender Singh also conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to Sh. S.S. Sodhi, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifle Association (JKRA), applauding his effective leadership, his entire team and the expert coaching of Mr Vishal Mehra and Mr. Aman Singh, who have been instrumental in shaping Aneesha into a shooting prodigy. Dr. Singh assured full support for Aneesha in all her future endeavours and for other talented marksmen from Jammu & Kashmir.
Hailing from the border area of Bishnah, this talented 18-year-old marksman is currently part of the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in Delhi, under the Khelo India initiative by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). In the All India Junior Shooting Ranking of 2023, she stands at an impressive 5th position.
Aneesha’s journey to this remarkable Team Bronze Medal at the Asian Shooting Championships has been punctuated with numerous achievements and accolades. Notably, she secured her place in the Indian Shooting Rifle team with an average score of 622.8 at the national level. Prior to that, she clinched three individual medals, including two gold, in the XXI Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Notably, she won gold in the Senior women category with a remarkable score of 631.6, defeating even World champions. She added another gold in the Junior category with a score of 252 and secured a bronze medal with a score of 230.3 in the Youth category.
Further, in the 66th National School Games held at Chandro Tomar Shooting Range, Noida from June 6, 2023, to June 12, 2023, Aneesha Sharma’s exceptional talent shone brightly, earning her an individual gold medal. Moreover, during the India Team selection trials 5&6 conducted by the National Rifle Association of India from June 25 to July 4, 2023, she clinched an Individual Gold medal.
This remarkable journey has not gone unnoticed as Aneesha Sharma has received heartfelt support from notable figures such as, Sh. Dilbag Singh (then DGP Jammu & Kashmir), the patron-in-chief who awarded her a commendation certificate and Rs 11,000 cash prize for her selection in the India shooting squad in 2021. Sh. S.S. Sodhi, President of Jammu & Kashmir Rifle Association (JKRA) also recognized her achievements with a cash prize of Rs 21,000 for her hat-trick wins in the 21st KSS championship, where she triumphed against Olympians and world champions, securing 2 Individual gold medals and one bronze.
Her remarkable achievements have not only made Jammu & Kashmir proud but have also inspired young talents to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals.