Itarsi: MP Academy’s 20-year-old shooter, Preeti Rajak hailing from Itarsi town in Narmadapuram district was in the Indian team that bagged the silver medal at International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. Indian women’s trap trio of Preeti Rajak, Sabeera Haris and Bhavya Tripathi went down 2-6 to the Italian team in the gold medal contest.
Preeti said like other shooters, Covid-19 also played a spoilsport as it hit her practice and tournament participation for two years. Preeti had won 3 team silver medals in a single year in 2019. Before she could get the launchpad, Covid-19 began in 2020 which had stopped all sports activities. Burying those bad memories, Preeti bounced back in 2022 with a team silver medal. She is now preparing for the selection trials of the world championship in New Delhi which are scheduled to start later this month.
Her mother, Jyotsna Rajak is a social worker while her father runs a dry-cleaning shop in Itarsi. “I got to know about the shooting academy in Bhopal. I wanted both my daughters to prove their mettle in this game. I got them admitted to the academy in 2015. Preeti was consistent and she continued her game. I wish to see her win more medals at the international level,” said Jyotsna. Her coaches said that Preeti is a focused shooter. “She has a bright future,” said her coach Indrajeet.
Congratulating Preeti, sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia said, “Even after witnessing bad days of Covid-19 our academy shooters maintained their consistency. Preeti has proved it after winning the team silver medal. She is a brilliant shooter.”