Where there is a will, there is a way, the adage goes. D. Manisha, a third year year B.E. student of Andhra University College of Engineering for Women (AUCEW), has proved it right. The daughter of an autorickshaw driver won a gold medal in rifle shooting at the national-level in the Thal Sainik Camp (TSC) held in New Delhi in September, setting an example that poverty is not a hurdle for achieving the goal.

Ms. Manisha has done Andhra University proud by clinching a gold medal in a tough competitions among the NCC cadets from all the 17 NCC Directorates across the country.

Academic topper

An academic topper and a quick learner, she earned the support of her teachers and NCC officers. I had made up my mind to join the Armed Forces when I was pursuing Intermediate. Though poverty has remained a barrier, the helping hands kept coming, she says.

Discovering her keen interest in studies, Shanmukha Rao, principal of Sri Bhavana Vidya Niketan, ensured free education to Manisha and her sisters.

Manisha got 9.7 grade points in her SSC and scored 978 out of 1,000 in the Intermediate. She joined the NCC last year and has been attending weekly training programmes since then, apart from various camps and two Combined Annual Training Camps (CATCs).

Seeing my consistency, our sir (Col. Amit Sharma, Camp Commandant, CATC, Visakhapatnam) encouraged me. I participated in the 2 (A) camp in shooting held at Andhra University and was selected for the 13 (A) camp in Visakhapatnam. This was the launch pad for the Secunderabad camp held in July, Ms. Manisha says.

High achiever

Cadets from all the 17 NCC Directorates in India competed in the Inter Directorate Shooting Competition (firing) and other events held in Delhi. The competitions for girl cadets were held in two categories—group fire and snap fire. Ms. Manisha emerged the topper in the group fire category.

I was tensed and my hands shivering. I was scared that I would miss the target. But, Col. Sharma Sir helped me ,she says.

Col. Sharma is all praise for Ms. Manisha.

I am sure she will make it big in the national-level some day. I will send her to All India G.V. Mavlankar Shooting Competition slated for mid-2019. The good performers there would get a chance to be selected for the Asian Games, Col. Sharma says.