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What's the story?
On Sunday, a unique piece of history was created by a young 5-year-old archer named Cherukuri Dolly Shivani. She entered the India Book of Records and Asian Book of Records in her first attempt as she defied her age and shattered two unbelievable marks at a trial event.
The first came as she shot a total of 103 arrows in as little as 11 minutes and 19 seconds at the target which was 10 metres away. For the second record, she hit 36 arrows at a 20-metre target in just five minutes and eight seconds, scoring a remarkable 290 points out of 360.
She received praise from all corners of the nation for her incredible achievement, notably so from the Vice President of India, Sh. Venkiah Naidu.
In case you didn't know
This is not the first record the youngster has made headlines for her age-defying achievements. Two years ago, at the tender age of three, she held the distinction of being the youngest Indian to hold an archery record, as she recorded over 200 points from five and seven-metre distances.
The heart of the matter
The youngster hails from a family of archers and is coached by her father Cherukuri Satyanarayana, who runs an academy in Vijaywada. Her brother, who tragically passed away a few years ago, was also an international-level archer.
Her father talked about his daughter's future targets and stated in an interview with the Hindu that their target is to prepare for the 2024 Olympics, by when Dolly will be 13 years old. He also appealed to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to listen to his appeal and ensure top-class training facilities and training for the five-year-old.
He also revealed that while training, she would usually take 13 minutes to finish the task. But for the event, she increased her speed incredibly and broke the record.
What's next?
The young archer received accolades and praise from the association officials as well as people on social media. While the 2024 Olympics are being seen as a target for her, expect her to break many more records along the way!
Author's take
It is truly astonishing and inspiring at the same time to see such a young child break such incredible barriers. Here's hoping she continues on her path towards greatness and brings laurels to our country.
