VIJAYAWADA: She is just three years old but has already gained entry into the ‘India Book of Records’ as an archer! And her passion for archery and hard work has also enabled her to set a new record in Asia.
This archery prodigy is Cherukuri Dolly Shivani, daughter of Ch Satyanarayana, and Ch Krishna Kumari. She was born on April 2, 2012. She started practising archery at the age of two at Cherukuri Volga Archery Academy here under the guidance of L Chandrashekhar Laguri. .
Shivani, who is the baby sister of late Indian coach and international archer Ch. Lenin, who was killed in a road accident soon after the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, took everyone by surprise on Tuesday when she scored 388 points in 24 attempts with 72 arrows in 5 m and 7 m categories. In the 7 m category, she scored 199 points whereas the target of the ‘India Book of Records’ is just 200 points.
“Three-year-old Shivani set a new record in Asia by scoring the highest number of points of 388 in just 24 attempts which has never been achieved by anyone of her age. We are proud to enter her name in the ‘India Book of Records (IBR)’, said IBR representative Vishwadeep Roy Chowdary.
“In 2020, Shivani will be nine years old and we want her to be in the Indian team then,” said Chandrasekhar Laguri, her coach from Jharkhand.
After the death of Lenin, his father Satyanarayana strongly desired to make Shivani an international champion in archery and encouraged her to set new records. When he visited Legnica (Poland), he got a bow-maker there to make 30 tiny carbide recurve
“It was a proud moment for me when my little girl set a new record,” said Satyanarayana kissing Shivani after she received the ‘India Book of Records’ certificate.