Learn about the inspiring journey of Chinki Yadav, an Indian professional shooter who achieved phenomenal success, culminating in her qualification for the prestigious 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her dedication and talent have made her a role model for aspiring athletes.

Wiki/Biography

Chinki Yadav was born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, in 1998. (Age 23 as of 2021). From a young age, she displayed a passion for shooting. A day-boarder at her school, she was well-liked by her peers. Interestingly, Chinki and her family resided within the Tatya Tope Stadium in Bhopal, a unique environment that significantly shaped her life.

Family

Chinki comes from a modest financial background. Her father, Mehtab Singh Yadav, works as an electrician in Bhopal and has a long-standing connection with the sports department, spanning 23 years. Her mother is a homemaker, and she also has a younger brother who shows promise in shooting. The family’s close proximity to the stadium fostered her love for the sport.

Rise of a Shooting Champion

Growing up surrounded by the sounds and sights of competitive shooting within the stadium, Chinki’s interest in the sport naturally blossomed. Her father recalls the pivotal moment when she joined the shooting academy in 2012: “As our home was inside the stadium, Chinki used to watch others playing various games. She expressed a desire to join the summer camp. I didn’t realize then that this decision would lead to a star being born in our family.”

After joining the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy, Chinki quickly impressed coaches with her talent and skill. Selected during a talent hunt, she went on to win numerous medals in national championships. She dedicated much of her time to training and honing her abilities at the academy. Her success inspired her father to enroll her younger brother in the academy as well. Mehtab Singh acknowledges the vital support they received, stating, “Shooting is an expensive sport; it would have been impossible for me to cover the costs of guns and ammunition alone. We owe a great deal to the sports department.”

The Olympic Ticket

On November 8, 2019, Chinki Yadav secured India’s 11th Tokyo Olympic quota in shooting. This achievement came after she qualified for the women’s 25m Pistol final at the 14th Asian Championships in Doha. She scored a perfect 100, securing second place in the qualification stage with a score of 588, narrowly trailing Thailand’s Naphaswan Yangpaiboon (590).

Prior to this success, Chinki had already garnered significant recognition. She won a gold medal in the 25m pistol event at the National Shooting Selection Trials in New Delhi and a team silver medal in the 19th Surendra Singh memorial shooting championship. Her exceptional performance continued at the 61st National Shooting Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where she set a new national record, achieving 31 hits out of 50 in the final round and securing a gold medal.