Zahra from Hyderabad bags 5 medals

Hyderabad : Zahra Mufaddal Deesawala, a first-year student at Loyala College, has made her mark in the world of sports with an impressive five-medal haul (Gold medal in Jr Women Individual, Gold in Jr Women Team, Silver medals in Women Individual and Women Team, Gold medal in Mixed Event Team) at the 66th National Shooting Championship competitions in Shotgun Events.

The championship which concluded on Saturday was being held at the world-renowned Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in New Delhi from November 15. The young shooter from Telangana emerged as the top performer in her category, showcasing her skills and dedication to the sport.

Zahra fondly recollects how her sister's early interest in shooting eventually piqued her own curiosity leading to her becoming an accomplished shooter herself. She swears by her shotgun from the Beretta brand, the DT11, which is a top-of-the-line competition shotgun used by some of the world's best clay shooters. With several medals under her belt, she has represented her state, zone, and country with pride.

Zahra has won a Jr. mixed team bronze medal in the World Championships held in Croatia in 2022. She continued her winning streak in 2023, winning a Jr. team gold medal in the Asian Championships held in South Korea, and a mixed team silver medal for Telangana at the National Games held in Goa in the same year. Recently, at the 66th National Shooting Championships, she clinched her first silver individual national medal in senior women's category and won the national junior champion title. Additionally, she won a gold medal for Jr. women's and mixed team junior categories and a silver medal for women's team event.

Zahra is a regular at the Gachibowli shooting range at Hyderabad University, where she trains under her coach Shreayan Kapoor, a former shooter and national team coach.