Sonam Uttam Maskar, Asian Games 2026: It is said that if your courage is high and you have the support of your family, then achieving any goal is not impossible. The story of 23 year old rifle shooter Sonam Uttam Muskar from Kolhapur, Maharashtra is also similar. Sonam, who once started shooting just as a hobby, is now a part of the Indian shooting team in the 20th Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan and is all set to win a medal.
Who is Sonam Uttam Musker?
Sonam Muskar is currently the world’s 13th ranked shooter in the women’s 10 meter air rifle category. At such a young age, he has left his mark at the international level with his accurate shooting. He has an ISSF World Cup Final silver medal, two ISSF World Cup silver medals and a bronze medal in his name.
Journey from Mumbai college to Asian Games
Sonam’s first introduction to shooting was in the year 2018 while studying at Tolani College of Commerce, Mumbai. Becoming a professional shooter was not included in his plans at that time. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a slight interruption in her initial practice. After this, in the year 2021, Sonam paid full attention to the training of 10 meter air rifle at the Kolhapur range and stepped into professional shooting.
Father’s sacrifice gave wings to flight
Behind this brilliant success of Sonam is a heart-touching story of the sacrifice of her father Uttam Muskar. In the year 2021, when Sonam needed professional shooting equipment for training, the family did not have that much money. Despite the economic crisis of the Covid pandemic, the father did not let his daughter’s dream break and sold one of his properties to buy shooting equipment worth about Rs 6 lakh. This great sacrifice of his father gave him a new flight and his father has the biggest contribution in making him where he is today.