When Sheila Kanungo picked up a pistol in the late 80s, it wasn’t for the love of sport. It was quiet rebellion.
The idea of a Marwari girl from Jaipur turning into a national-level shooter was almost laughable, until Sheila made it to the Commonwealth Games with a second-hand gun, gold earrings traded for bullets, and an aim steady enough to silence every doubter. That she went on to win many laurels for India, is now part of folklore ... and also that she continues to win even now at the Master's circuit, is simply awe-inspiring!
In this episode, she talks about the grit it took to rise in a man’s world, the joy of aiming straight and true, and the quiet pride of watching Indian shooting evolve from jugaad to podium finishes. From her honest take on movies about shooting (like 'Saand Ki Aankh'), to memories of train journeys, tiny wins, and teenage nerves, Sheila fires away with calm precision and sharp wisdom.
Today, as Hon. Secretary of the Maharashtra Rifle Association, and Joint General Secretary at the National Rifle Association of India, she’s driving policy and helping the sport evolve with unique innovations, besides mainstreaming shooting from the range to the boardroom, not forgetting the common man along the way.