Author: Ankit Shreshtha
Fresh from helping India win its first-ever rifle team medal at the World Shooting Para Sport World Championships in Changwon, para-shooter Rakesh Nidagundi is targeting gold at his debut Para Asian Games in Japan.
“As an athlete, I am going to the Asian Games with 100 per cent medal expectations. My target is gold,” Nidagundi said.
“I have learned a lot from my three international competitions. I have worked on the mistakes I made earlier and am shooting at my best in training,” he added. Nidagundi, who began his shooting journey in 2020 and started competing in 2021, said financial difficulties had made his early years in the sport particularly challenging.
“I faced a lot of financial challenges. I was unemployed and used to stay at home. I come from a middle-class family, and shooting is a very expensive sport. You have to spend a lot of money on travelling, equipment, weapons and coaching. I struggled a lot until 2024,” he said.
Nidagundi joined the Vijayi Bharat Foundation towards the end of 2025, allowing him to focus more on his sport.