International Shooting Championships, Hannover (Germany)
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Shooter Ayonika does the balancing act to perfection
Ayonika Paul had a fruitful outing at the recently concluded International Shooting Championships held in Hannover (Germany) where she won Silver Medal in the 10m Air Rifle event. More importantly, Ayonika shot a world class score of 417.6 in the qualification round.
If you thought the star Indian shooter would be celebrating, then think again. The 24-year-old is back in the country and is already preparing for her next 'event' - taking her semester exams which starts from May 19. Ayonika, who did her Bachelors from Pillai College of Engineering in Panvel, is pursuing her Masters in Electronics Engineering. To top that, she carries her books even during events and devotes specific time to go through them. "I studied in the evenings (during the event in Hannover) due to early morning trainings," Ayonika told TOI on Monday.
In an era where people find it tough to find the balance, Ayonika has mastered the art - aptly dedicating time for her studies and shooting. "(It's) all about time management and a huge support from parents. There has been a lot of support from my college as well. Also, I have received an unconditional support from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), Olympic Gold Quest, Capapie Sports and Central Railways," she said.
On her daily schedule, Ayonika said, "I wake up at 4 a.m. and study from 4.15 to 7 a.m. before trainings. There have been times when my mother picked me up from the exam hall and dropped me directly to the airport (before heading for my event). There have been occasions when I landed at 7a.m. and was at the exam hall by 11 a.m. (the same day) for my exams. But, there have been many times when I missed my exams."
Ayonika, who didn't have the best of outings at the Rio Olympics last year, has become mentally stronger. "After the Olympics, I developed a lot mentally. It's been just hard work and crazy determination (that I have followed)," she said.
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