Trap shooter Manisha Keer’s journey: A tale of grit, sacrifice and international success

Manisha Keer, a trap shooter from Madhya Pradesh, rose from humble beginnings to the international stage despite financial hardships and limited resources. Guided initially by her sister, she overcame challenges at the academy and competitions, eventually winning medals at the World Championships and Asian Games.

Hyderabad: For Manisha Keer, shooting was never part of the plan. Growing up in a modest family from a village near Bhopal, the Indian trap shooter did not even know the sport existed until her sister introduced her to it.

What began as an unexpected opportunity would go on to become a journey that took her from the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy to the international stage.

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“I didn’t even know what shooting was. I only knew cricket, volleyball and football. I didn’t even know about shooting and I didn’t even think about it,” Manisha recalls.

Her elder sister Sona, who was herself a sportsperson, played an important role in bringing her into the sport. But discovering shooting was only the beginning. Coming from a family with limited means, Manisha soon found that pursuing the sport would demand sacrifices from both her and her family.

“My family was not that financially capable to support me. They couldn’t give me everything that I wanted. It was very difficult for me,” she says.

Shooting is an expensive sport, and those challenges became particularly difficult when Manisha began travelling for competitions. At just 18, she often had to make difficult choices to stay on the path she had chosen. “When I used to go out for competitions, I had to face a lot of challenges. I couldn’t eat what I wanted to eat. I had to save some money,” she recalls.

Even at the academy, the early years were far from easy. There was no regular coach, and Manisha had to learn with the people and resources around her. Her sister became an important source of guidance as she slowly found her feet in a sport she had once known nothing about. “In the academy, whatever was there was enough for us. I mean, you have to do what you have,” Manisha says.

That mindset of making the most of what she had rather than dwelling on what she lacked became one of the defining qualities of her journey. Over the years, Manisha went on to make her mark at the international level, including winning a junior World Championship silver medal in trap in 2018 and an Asian Games silver medal as part of India’s women’s trap team.

For Manisha, however, the journey has been about more than medals. The difficulties she faced early on also taught her an important lesson about independence and resilience. “No one can be together all the time. We have to take care of ourselves too. That was also a learning point,” she reflects.

It is a lesson that continues to shape her as she prepares for the challenges ahead. From a young girl who had never heard of shooting to an athlete representing India, Manisha’s story is ultimately about finding an opportunity, making the most of it and continuing to move forward — regardless of how difficult the road may be. “I learned from whatever I had, and that’s how I grew up,” she says.

The support system around her also gradually grew as Manisha established herself in the sport. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has played an important role in providing her a pathway to compete at the national and international level, with her performances earning her a place in India’s shooting squads over the years. The NRAI’s official records also trace her presence in national competitions from her junior days.

“Of course, the support from the NRAI has been very important for me. When you come from a background where you don’t have everything, having an organisation that gives you the opportunity to compete, train and represent the country means a lot. I am very grateful for that support and for the opportunities I have received,” Manisha concluded.