THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “I never miss the chance to visit Kerala. It has always been a beloved state. I have been visiting Thiruvananthapuram for the past six years consecutively,” said Lajja Goswami, a gold medalist in the 2015 International Shooting Competition 50-meter Rifle Prone event.Lajja was in the city to participate in the 12th All India Police Shooting Sports Championship.
The 29-year-old who hails from Jitodia, a village in Gujarat, has been participating in various shooting competitions for the past 12 years. “It all started when I enrolled as a cadet in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in my school. I was drawn to the rifle since my childhood. My dream came true when I joined the NCC,” said Lajja.
Given that, the shooter says her journey was not so easy so far. “Nowadays, young shooters get the opportunity to be trained under good coaches,” she opined. “I didn’t get good training for the first four years which initially hindered my growth. I learnt watching videos of Anjali Bhagwat and Abhinav Bindra,” she said.
Later, however, she was lucky enough to be trained by national shooting coach Sunny Thomas in Pune. “He is one of the best coaches to have trained me. He was very supportive,” said Lajja.She later joined the Gujarat police and now is the brand ambassador for Gujarat state. She was the first sportswoman to be appointed as a police inspector in the Gujarat police cadre under the sports quota. She practices for eight hours every day.
“The Gujarat police is very supportive. I begin practice at 9 am till 5 pm every day,” said Lajja.
She is also very keen on grooming young shooting enthusiasts. “I want to teach the techniques I have learned and pass it on to the newcomers. “My long-term plan is to start a shooting academy,” she said.
Lajja has won the Raksha Mantri medal in the year 2009. The awards she has bagged internationally for 50-meter Rifle 3 Positions include silver in the Commonwealth Games 2010, silver in ISSF World Cup 2013 and bronze in Commonwealth Games 2014.