An excellent shooter, Ayonika Paul, represents India in the 10 m Air Rifle discipline. She has represented India in numerous major international competitions. The young athlete has been successful in balancing her time between academics & sports. She has earned many titles at a very little age.
EARLY LIFE
Ayonika Paul has made her global debut in 2008 at the International Junior Shooting Competition in Munich where she earned a gold medal. She also owns many medals in the junior category and today she is no less than any threat in the Senior Leagues. Despite being extremely talented, Ayonika takes guidance from her fellow Indian as she believes that air rifle needs specialized coaching & guidance. And that is why the shooter never misses a chance to gain knowledge about shooting and educate her with as much information.
PERSONAL LIFE
Shooter Ayonika Paul was born on 23RD September 1992 in Mumbai. Her father, Ashim Paul who is a railway employee and mother, Aparna Paul, have always supported her with her choice. The young shooter has completed her schooling from the Swami Vivekananda High School, Suburban Chembur in Mumbai. She also holds a BE Electronics degree & is a member of the National Rifle Association of India. She started as a swimmer in her early days under the guidance of her father. In 2006, she shifted to shooting when the little Ayonika saw Rajyavardhan Singh Rathod at the 2004 Athens Olympics where he earned a silver medal. She started her journey when her father bought her an imported Feinwerkvan worth Rs 1.2 lakh through a loan. It was her first rifle and she has weekly practice at Pune. It was not easy for the young athlete to juggle between her shooting practices and studies. But she successfully took both things hand-by-hand. After her practice, nobody could stop Ayonika Paul and she went on to achieve many achievements in a row.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
As a kid, Ayonika Paul played many sports including water-polo, basketball, and skating in her Summer Holidays. She did swimming as her regular activity. Guns have excited Ayonika from the very beginning and when she heard about shooting she was thrilled to try it. Her first competition was her inter-school competition where she scored 144 and Ayonika’s performance amused herself more than anybody else. After that competition, Ayonika was not able to get over it & wished to shoot every day.
Throughout his shooting journey, Ayonika’s family had to excessively spend for her necessities. Her shooting jacket & trousers cost approximately Rs 70,000; the cost of the shooting shoes was Rs 18,000 and her weapons for Rs 1, 70,000. Her parents stood with her at every stage and gave her both mental & financial support.
AWARDS
- Shiv Chhatrapati Award by Maharashtra Government
ACHIEVEMENTS
ISSF WORLD MEDAL TALLY
- Bronze: 2014, Maribor: 10 m Air Rifle
COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Silver: 2014, Glasgow: 10 m Air Rifle
NATIONAL GAMES
- Silver: 2015, Kerala, India: 10 m Air Rifle
ASIA OLYMPIC QUALIFYING COMPETITION
- Silver: 2016, New Delhi, India: 10 m Air Rifle
ASIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Bronze: 2011, Kuwait: 10 m Air Rifle
INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR COMPETITION
- Gold: 2007, Suhl, Germany: 10 m Air Rifle
PERSONAL INFORMATION
- Name: Ayonika Paul
- Nickname: Ayonika Paul
- Sport: Shooting
- Events- 10 m Air Rifle
- Country- India
- Father’s name: Ashim Paul
- Mother’s name: Aparna Paul
- Sister’s name: Aliana Paul
- Coach- Thomas Farnik
- Height- 163 cm (5 ft 4 in)
- Weight: 74 kg
- Eye colour: black
- Hair colour: black
- Date of birth: 23 September 1992
- Age: 27 years
- Birth place: Mumbai, India
- Education: Pillai College of Engineering, New Panvel
- Zodiac sign: Libra
- Nationality: Indian
- Hometown: Mumbai
- Religion: Christian
CONTROVERSY
Apart from his achievements & performances, the young shooter once made headlines when left the Olympic village during Rio Olympics 2016. She shifted to a service apartment in order to stay away from the media & fully concentrate on her shooting practice.
NET WORTH OF AYONIKA PAUL
NOT YET UPDATED.
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES OF AYONIKA PAUL
FACEBOOK- https://www.facebook.com/PaulAyonika/