Rohtak : Shooter Ashima Ahlawat , a resident of Sector 14 , Rohtak, brought laurels to the district by winning a silver medal in the women’s trap team event at the Asian Games . As she was welcomed home in a celebratory procession, her mother, Dr Sumitra Ahlawat , turned emotional while recalling a promise she had made after her husband’s death, saying that her daughter had fulfilled it with this achievement.




For Ashima, the Asian Games medal was the realization of a dream she had nurtured since taking up the sport.




“When I started shooting, there was only one goal in my mind - to win a medal at the Asian Games,” she said.




Recalling the competition, Ashima said the finals were challenging, but she kept motivating herself and stayed focused on her target to secure the silver medal.




Her next goal, she said, is to earn an Olympic quota and eventually win an Olympic medal for India. Acknowledging that securing a quota berth is itself a tough task, Ashima said she would return to training soon and work hard towards that objective.




Interestingly, Ashima’s journey in shooting began after she watched Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker on television. Inspired by Bhaker, she told her mother she wanted to take up the sport. Her mother agreed, but on one condition: Ashima had to score 98% marks in Class XII.




Ashima rose to the challenge, scoring 98.6%. Only then did she begin formal shooting training.




She recalled that her sister trained in wrestling and she would often accompany her, occasionally stepping onto the mat for fun. However, a visit to a shotgun range changed everything. Fascinated by the sport, she decided to pursue shooting seriously.




Over the last five years, Ashima has steadily progressed through the ranks, winning medals at several competitions before achieving her biggest success yet with an Asian Games silver medal.