Ayushi saves kit bag, resumes training after cyclone Amphan

Ayushi's kit bag and other equipment were wrapped in polythene sheets and stored in the shower cubicle to prevent damage. She lost 10 pairs of sports shoes due to the cyclone.

Shooter Ayushi is training for 50m prone and 50m 3-positions rifle events at her home.

After protecting her guns and other equipment from cyclone Amphan, promising shooter Ayushi Podder has shifted her focus back to training at home.

Anticipating that the cyclone would be to be a severe one, Ayushi’s father and coach Pankaj wrapped her kit bag and other equipment in polythene sheets and stored them in the shower cubicle of his flat’s bathroom.

As the cyclone hit on May 20, water gushed in through a window of the Podder flat, situated on the fourth floor of a housing society on the outskirts of the city in Hooghly district.

“Our house was flooded with rain water. Since we don’t have cupboards in the house, at least 10 pairs of Ayushi’s sports shoes and some clothes got drenched. We had to give the shoes away to the needy people. However, we saved the gun and equipment by storing them in the shower cubicle (which is compact and has a raised platform),” Pankaj, also a shooter said.

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Now, Ayushi, who competes in 50m prone and 50m 3-positions rifle events, has resumed her training. “Ayushi has begun her training again by doing simulation at home. Sometimes, we go downstairs to the makeshift range to train. Since the lift is not functioning, going down these days is a tough job. We have to carry the heavy kit bag while descending and climbing the stairs,” said Pankaj.

With uncertainty surrounding the resumption of the National camp and competitions due to the lockdown, 19-year-old Ayushi will continue to train at home. “Ayushi has to keep herself ready so that whenever things become normal, she can join the action immediately,” said Pankaj.