19-year-old Kritika Sharma bags gold in compound archery in KIUG.

What’s the story?

Kritika Sharma, the teenager from Ajmer, tasted her first major success as she clinched gold in the women’s compound archery event, at the inaugural Khelo India University Games in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

In case you did not know

Kritika switched to archery from volleyball just two years ago, due to the lack of proper infrastructure and scope in the latter.

Heart of the matter

Kritika, who was representing the Rajasthan University at the KIUG, outclassed the rest of the participants, to secure a gold in the individual compound event on Tuesday.

Kritika, after she had won the medal told the Times of India, "I wanted to play volleyball, just like my father. But back home in Ajmer, there weren't proper facilities for either sport.”

"There was a lot of scope for archers in Ajmer and my father encouraged me to learn it," she added.

The youngster who had previously taken part in the Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati was calm and composed during the finals on Tuesday.

"I had a nice run there as well but lost in the quarter-finals. Here, I must say, I was feeling good right from the beginning. I felt very confident during the final and I guess I played well enough."

What’s next?

Kritika who has been performing well, is now focused on the Senior World Cup trials that are going to take place at the end of February and hopes of getting selected in it.