Yashasri Dattatray Bhargude “I am keen on becoming yet another Anjali Bhagat”
Yashasri Dattatray Bhargude who is the petite and talented daughter of the affable Assistant Commissioner of Police Shri Bhargude of Santa Cruz Police Station, is learning Air rifle shooting from Swatantra Veer Savarkar Academy for the last one year and is also on a spree of winning medals. Over to Yashasri in conversation with JYOTHI VENKATESH
Once randomly when I was walking with my family to some restaurant, I learnt that there were different activities in the Swatantra Veer Smarak Academy which is a trust. I chose rifle shooting because I was always fantasizing about guns and rifles. Once when I went there, I got interested in learning the basics of the course. I was lucky I paid the money and I was enrolled. I used to practice six hours a day. I was keen on making rifle shooting my career.
“My dad was very happy and brought me a second hand gun. I was happy because I was a new comer. I had to get experience if I have to get a new gun but for keeping an Air rifle gun you need not have a licence. You import it from Germany. After my graduation, I took my rifle training. I am a B.E Computer Engineer. I am now 23 years old and in the finals year I started rifle shooting. May be it is a god gifted thing. I was also properly holding the rifle when I started learning. I am now taking private coaching from Prasad Sir. I do not think that it is a man dominated sports. I feel that the girls are much better than me and are more focused than boys and get even better scores.
“After the Nationals, there are trials. If I get selected in Indian team I may get a government job. A girl who had played a national game is now Dy Collector of Kolhapur. The gun weighs minimum 4 kgs. From the 6th standard children both boys and girls can enroll for the course. My sister is fond of dentistry and after getting MDS after graduation, she may get into dentistry. My mom who is a lawyer by profession always comes with me to watch all my shootings. Dad advises me to learn languages but languages do not fascinate me. I know English, Hindi and Marathi
“My parents , who have two daughters, treat me like a son. My ACP dad likes what he is doing; His job is adventurous and thrilling. I would also like to take up an adventerous job and try to solve people’s problems. After the Nationals, there are trials and I may get a government job. I do not want to join IPS for the simple reason that it is not easy to be an IPS. The exams are too tough
“I saw Dunkirk recently. I do not want to see Bollywood films unless it is a biopic. I recently watched Lokmanya Tilak in Marathi. I usually like to watch horror films. I do not like to watch romantic films because I am not romantic in real life. If I watch horror films, I get good sleep. Among the Bollywood actors, I like Vin Diesel, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nawazuddin Siddiqui etc. I saw Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday just to watch Nawazuddin do a small role.
“Many people come and join the basic course just to be able to take a private licence for the gun and are least interested in taking up rifle shooting as a profession. They do not find it interesting to continue with the training. I am keen on becoming another Anjali Bhagat and Suma who is a record holder of 400 shootings. Marriage is not on cards. There is a lot of time for marriage. I am too small a girl for marriage”, Yashasri signs off.