Mehuli Ghosh — shooting for the stars and Olympic glory Premium

, says Mehuli Ghosh, India's best markswoman and a World Championship, Commonwealth Games, and Youth Olympic medallist. She is one of India's best bets for a medal in the upcoming Asian Games and next year's Olympics. With a quota in the bag, Mehuli is giving it her all to make it to Paris 2024.

It is easy to lose your way inside the lush green, 2,300-acre sprawling campus of the University of Hyderabad. With a humble layer of verdigris eating into the painted letters, it is easier to miss the dilapidated metal signboard pointing towards the Telangana Rifle Association Shooting Range, roughly a kilometre from the main gate.

Housed within this very complex is Olympic medallist Gagan Narang’s shooting academy, Gun For Glory (GFG), its entrance something straight out of the sets of the horror flick, Crimson Peak.

A yard in, the sound of pellets crashing onto electronic targets and a flex banner confirms you are at the right place — the 10m range.

“She is on her way,” one of the coaches at the institute informed Sportstar.

Minutes later, the spluttering sound of an engine came to the ears as an auto-rickshaw slowly made its way inside the gate. Just as the vehicle halted in front of the range, a familiar voice rang: “Arey, kyamon aacho bawlo?” (Bengali for “Hello, how have you been?”).

A beaming Mehuli Ghosh, with a large check-in trolley and rifle case, greeted this reporter. “Sorry, was doing my laundry, but left it midway and rushed. I hope I am not that late,” she hurriedly slipped into an apology.

It was hard to tell that this 23-year-old was currently India’s best markswoman, a World Championship, Commonwealth Games, and Youth Olympic medallist, and arguably one of India’s best bets for a medal in the upcoming Asian Games and next year’s Olympics. She had no airs and graces.