Young shooting star Nifla Azoor aims to become a teacher
View(s):Shooting has been an Olympic sport since the first modern games in 1896. It has a history of providing intrigue and drama. Shooting is a tense sport that requires immense reserves of skill, concentration and nerve. The oldest Olympic champion was Sweden’s Oscar Swahn, who won gold in Stockholm, 1912, aged 64!
Sri Lanka has a history of producing great marksmen including women sharpshooters such as three-time Olympian Pushpamalie Ramanayake and Ruwani Abeymanne.
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- Nifla practising for the National Shooting Championships
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- Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sports Colours Awarding Ceremony for the years of 2017 and 2018
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- Nifla Azoor taking part in archery before switching to rifle shooting
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- Nifla with her coach Jayalath Dassanayake
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- Nifla Azoor during her traning sessions
It is a sport that does not require strength and fitness but composure and enormous skill – a real test of your self-control. Strength, stamina, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills are all improved by competing.
Like any young girl Fathima Nifla Azoor indulged in sports like netball, swimming, badminton and also played elle when she attended I-Gate College, Colombo. Her attraction to target shooting saw her try her hand at archery at the tender age of 13. But her conscious decision and determination to switch to the shooting sport has resulted in her fortunes soaring and emerging as one of the brightest young talents in the country.
The only child in the family, 17-year-old Nifla was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. The greatest influence in her life has been her father Azoor Muzafer who gave her all encouragement to engage in the expensive sport of shooting though he does not hail from an affluent family. Nevertheless, he derives immense satisfaction in seeing his daughter excel in the sport of her choice.
Nifla underlined her credentials as a shooting star in 2018 when she won three ‘Sharpshooter’ awards at tournaments conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sports Federation (SLSSSF) and was awarded National Colours for the year 2017 and 2018.
Apart from winning several medals, she progressively achieved Personal Bests of 82% (A), 90% (A+) and 94% (A+) in the 10 metre Air Rifle event to qualify for the Sharpshooter award as a 15-year-old.
“She started with archery four years ago but stopped it because she wanted to participate in rifle shooting. I am grateful to Thomas Roystan, Proprietor of W Thomas & Sons Guncare Centre in Kadawatha. He made a special rifle for my daughter for shooting in school tournaments,” said Azoor.
Nifla who will be sitting for A/Ls in Commerce subjects next year, does not have big Olympic dreams.
“I want to become a teacher. I also like to become a coach. I like to teach others how to play rifle shooting,” said Nifla, perhaps unaware that she has the talent to go places in the sport.