Contrary to most children his age, Adhiraj Singh Devra was intrigued by his ancestral guns and weapons to an extent that made him wanted to speed up his growth to an age that would permit him to further interact with these marvels. As a young boy, his introduction to the sport of shooting began as a result of the educational curriculum directed specifically by his father. Based on the Vedic tenets of one’s illumination on shaastras (religious precepts) and shastras (arms), the unique teaching method fuelled Adhiraj’s inborn curiosity vis-a-vis the latter. When he turned 13, he was taken to the shooting range by his father and registered into the Samvit Shooting Sansthan, a training academy after which, it didn’t take him long to turn into a professional shooter.
Throughout his undulating career as a young shooter and now as a budding trainer, Adhiraj has held the late Maharaja Dr Karni Singhji of Bikaner as his idol. After all, it was Maharaja Dr Karni Singhji who inspired Adhiraj’ family to pursue the sport of shooting as a matter of which a passion for shooting began to be cultivated before percolating down to him at a young age.
In the eight years that have followed Adhiraj’s first day at the range, he has won several national as well as state-level awards in the category of air pistol shooting. Yet, there is no sporting journey that lacks its own set of hurdles, and Adhiraj briefly illustrates the biggest challenge that he has faced as a shooter thus far.
It was 2013 and the budding professional was in top form, with a selection into the Youth Olympic Games that were to be held in Nanjing, China in the following year. In what he perceives to be a personal vendetta by a poorly-spirited competitor, Adhiraj suffered a tragic motorbike accident and sustained multiple attempts to injure his dominant arm. This horrific incident proved to be not just physically damaging, but also morally devastating for Adhiraj, with his self-esteem at an all-time low. Nanjing was obviously out of the question and his shooting career had attained an overnight standstill.
Over the next two years, Adhiraj willed his way back to recovery with some intensive therapy and rehabilitation efforts for his hand. He also spent this time to regain his focus and improve on his shooting technique. In a summarisation of this trying phase, Adhiraj emerges stronger as a true sportsman would. In his words, “with this life-changing experience, I reminisce on how it made me stronger. I was not altered in my determination to again become the best. I see life as a gift, and am grateful for the challenge as it made me a gentleman and true sportsperson.”
Once he had made his dashing re-entry into the world of shooting, nothing could stop Adhiraj now. Not only had he resumed his exhaustive list of awards and accolades, but had also taken to teaching the sport to other amateurs and aspirants.
Taking this crucial experience in his stride, Adhiraj became more aware of the psychological imperatives of the sport.
In December 2017, Adhiraj introduced to Ahmedabad the city’s first professional shooting academy called the ‘Thunderbolt Shooting Academy’. Through this initiative, Adhiraj alternates the training of professional shooters with the promotion of the sport as a recreational activity. More specifically, he has opened his doors to walk-ins who are looking to try their hand at shooting with the added guidance of professionals and veterans, hence making the sport more accessible to the layperson.
“My aim is to share the hidden attributes of shooting as a sport and getting more youth to know the sport while providing the best possible training through professionally-run institutes and quality equipment. Ultimately, I’d like to contribute to a greater number of players at national and international levels,” Adhiraj concludes.