In 2018, Vidarsa K Vinod entered the NCC University Court simply to try his hand at holding a rifle; eight years, borrowed equipment and a family loan later, he’s going to the Asian Games

Vidarsa K Vinod is set to make his Asian Games debut at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan When Vidarsa K Vinod appeared for the NCC exam at her college in Kozhikode in 2018, she wanted to experience what it was like to hold a rifle. Eight years later, that serendipitous decision took the Kerala shooter to the biggest stage of her career. Vinod will make her debut at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she will represent India in the women’s 10m and 50m 3-position air rifle events.However, her path was anything but straightforward. She trained for years without owning the equipment needed to compete seriously. Relying on the NCC and borrowing rifles, she dealt with the financial burden of shooting and even came close to quitting before finally breaking through.

She got into the shooting almost by accident

According to The Indian Express, Vinod had no formal shooting training when she appeared for the NCC exam in 2018. She performed well enough to make the NCC team and was soon promoted to the Kerala state team. A year later, she became the overall champion at the Kerala State Shooting Championship. But becoming a serious shooter required something she didn’t have: her own rifle.Competitive shooting is an expensive sport, with the cost of a rifle before expenses such as jackets and ammunition. For Vinod, this financial barrier remained a constant problem. The Covid-19 pandemic made the situation even worse and stopped her training.For almost a year, she stayed out of reach and practiced yoga and exercise at home. Before that, she was dependent on borrowed or NCC equipment. Still, despite not owning a rifle, she made it to #1 in Kerala, according to The Indian Express.

Vidarsa K Vinod’s family took out a loan in 2021 to help her buy her first rifle, a crucial step on her journey to international shooting.

The question changed her career

The breakthrough came through another shooter Manu S Ravi, who later became her husband. After the pandemic, he asked her a simple question: why didn’t she own a rifle? For Vinod, the answer was obvious – she couldn’t afford one.But the question made her reconsider how seriously she wanted to pursue shooting. According to India Today, Vinod discussed the matter with her parents and in 2021 her family took a loan to buy her first rifle.Eventually, the investment began to return. With Manu’s support and training under coach Manoj Kumar, her performances improved and she won her first national medal in 2022.

From Kerala to Delhi

Vinod moved to New Delhi to train at the Dr Karni Singh Range, entering a tougher training environment. It meant living alone in an unfamiliar city while managing cooking, household duties and intense training.In early 2024, after a series of near misses and mounting financial burdens, Vinod came close to retiring from shooting. She felt that her family, husband and coach had already sacrificed too much for her career. But they continued to support her even as she began to doubt herself.

Coach Manoj Kumar helped her adapt to the lighter rifle, which she now uses in competitions.

A rifle that was never meant to be hers

There was another unusual twist to her equipment story. Vinod struggled with the weight of her rifle and coach Manoj Kumar suggested she try a lighter model he had imported for his daughter. According to reports, Kumar’s daughter eventually decided to focus on her studies, so he allowed Vinod to test the rifle.She initially refused because the rifle was bought for his daughter. However, after a few days of rehearsal, Kumar told her to keep it. This light rifle is now the one that Vinod will carry to the Asian Games.Kumar told The Indian Express that Vinod was a quick learner and was willing to accept the technical changes he introduced. Their connection has been going on for several years and has become an important part of her development as a shooter.

From his first international medal to the Asian Games

The breakthrough at the international level came in 2025. Vinod represented India at the Asian Shooting Championships in Kazakhstan and won a silver medal in the team event, reports The Tech Word News. Since then, she has competed in three ISSF World Cups, two Asian Championships and a World Championship. She also finished sixth at the recent World Championships. Her first international medal at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship helped pave the way for her selection in the Asian Games team.Now the woman who once borrowed rifles to keep competing is set to set her sights on India at the Asian Games. But Vinodová does not set herself a medal goal. In an interview with The Tech Word News, she said her coach’s advice was to focus on experiencing and learning rather than chasing the podium. According to her, the emphasis is on preparing for a longer period rather than treating the Asian Games as a single defining competition. In 2018, she entered the NCC court only to hold a rifle. Today, that rifle got her all the way to the Asian Games.