Kundan Kumar and Gaya: Kundan Kumar and Gaya are siblings from Bodh Gaya who have made a name for themselves not only at the state level but also at the national level in shooting. Both 19-year-old Kulshreshtha and 17-year-old Mahakashyap are shooters. They have participated in national games twice and have also won medals. Their idol and gold medalist at the Olympic and Asian Games, Jaspal Rana, inspired them to take up shooting. After that, both of them started shooting.
Talent Hunt Competition: In 2022, they got the opportunity to participate in the Talent Hunt competition held at the Indoor Shooting Range in Kalyan Bigha village in Nalanda district. More than 150 players from Bihar participated in this competition. Among them were many players who had been shooting for years. Both siblings got a chance in this competition and made it to the top 10 in their first attempt. The Director-General of Bihar State Sports Authority, Ravindra Shankaran, was also amazed to see their shooting skills.
Selection and Achievements: After the Inter-School Championship, both of them were selected for the National level. In the State match, Mahakashyap won a team gold medal while Kulshreshtha secured the fourth rank individually. After that, they were selected for the Zonal level, which was held in Asansol. Mahakashyap secured the 14th position in All India, while Kulshreshtha secured the fourth position. In the same year, both of them were selected for the All India Kumar Surendra Singh Inter-School Championship, where Kulshreshtha secured the fourth position and Mahakashyap secured the 64th position.
Struggles and Financial Constraints: Mahakashyap and Kulshreshtha are currently studying in the 11th grade at Plus Two High School in Kiriyanwa, Bodh Gaya. Their financial situation is not very good, which makes it difficult for them to pursue this expensive sport. Their parents, Vikas Kumar and Anita Kumari, run a small play school at home. Shooting is an expensive sport, and the equipment costs lakhs of rupees. They don’t have enough money to buy a gun for shooting. They have to go to Nalanda for practice as there is no shooting range nearby.
कुंदन कुमार और गया के रहने वाले भाई-बहन, कुलश्रेष्ठा और महाकश्यप, नेशनल स्तर पर अपनी पहचान बना रहे हैं. दोनों ने दो-दो बार नेशनल खेल खेले हैं और मेडल भी जीते हैं. उनके आइडल जसपाल राणा ने उनमें शूटिंग करने की प्रेरणा जगाई. टैलेंट हंट प्रतियोगिता में भी दोनों ने बेहतरीन प्रदर्शन किया. उनके घर की आर्थिक स्थिति काफी कमजोर होने के कारण उन्हें खेल में काफी संघर्ष करना पड़ रहा है. फिर भी, इन दोनों को नेशनल चैंपियनशिप और इंडियन टीम ट्रायल के लिए चयन किया गया है. ये दोनों भाई-बहन बिहार के गर्व हैं और उनकी कठिनाइयों के बावजूद वे खुद को साबित कर रहे हैं।
