After Missing Paris Olympics, Tilottama Sen Thought of Quitting Before Finding a New Target and Hitting the Bullseye

A year ago, Tilottama Sen was questioning her future in shooting. Today, she stands as the national champion in the women’s 50-metre rifle three positions event and one of India’s brightest hopes for the 2026 Asian Games.

Her story is not just about medals and scores. It is a story of resilience, reinvention, and the courage to start again when everything seems lost.

The young shooter from Karnataka had entered 2024 with high hopes. After a stellar 2023 season that included a silver medal at the Asian Championships, Tilottama looked well on course for the Paris Olympics. She had earned a quota place for India and consistently proved herself on the international stage.

Yet, in India’s fiercely competitive shooting system, even the smallest margins can decide an athlete’s fate. Despite performing strongly in the Olympic selection trials, Tilottama missed out on a place in the final Indian team. Decimal points made the difference. The disappointment was crushing.

“It was difficult because I knew I was doing well,” Tilottama (18) told myKhel. “Having earned that quota but still missing the Games was really heartbreaking.”

The setback hit hard. So hard that for two months she put her rifle away. “I didn’t want to shoot anymore; I even wanted to quit shooting completely,” she admitted.

For many athletes, that could have been the end of the story. For Tilottama, it became the beginning of a new chapter. At her lowest point, national rifle coach Manoj Kumar encouraged her to try something entirely different, the 50m rifle three positions event. Until then, Tilottama had primarily competed in the 10m air rifle discipline.

At first, she resisted. “He asked me, ‘Why don’t you start with 50 metres?’ Initially, I said no because I felt it would be too much for me to handle. But he insisted that I should try,” she recalls.

That decision changed the Bengaluru-born shooter’s career. The transition was not easy. Moving from 10m air rifle to 50m rifle three positions demanded technical adjustments and a completely different mindset. Unlike the 10m event, shooters in 50m 3P compete in kneeling, prone, and standing positions while also dealing with changing outdoor conditions such as wind and weather.

“Initially, it was difficult because they are very different disciplines,” she explained. “But now I am quite used to it, and it has become very easy for me to switch between both.”

More importantly, the new event helped her rediscover her love for the sport. “I’ve learned to be a little more free and just enjoy the match.”

The results soon followed. At the National Shooting Championships in Bhopal, Tilottama delivered a performance that announced her arrival among India’s best. Competing against a strong field of experienced shooters, she topped qualification with an impressive 591 and then dominated the final to secure her first senior national title with a score of 466.9.

The victory was particularly remarkable because she had been training in the event for only a year. She added, “When I became the national champion, my coach was the happiest person. He told me, ‘I knew you could do this.'”

Behind the triumph lies a young athlete who has learned to embrace both success and failure. During the difficult months after missing Paris, Tilottama turned to books and studies to stay focused. Among the books that inspired her were The Alchemist and The Mountain Is You, recommendations from her sports psychologist.

The lessons from that period continue to shape her outlook. Rather than obsessing over results, she now focuses on enjoying the process. As she prepares for the 2026 Asian Games, where she has secured qualification in 50m rifle three positions, her approach is refreshingly simple.

“For the Asian Games, the only thing would be to enjoy my match and enjoy the game,” she said. “I’ll give my best.”

Tilottama Sen was only a baby when Abhinav Bindra made history by winning India’s first individual Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. Inspired by Bindra’s journey and encouraged by her father, Sujit Sen, she picked up a rifle during the Covid-19 pandemic and rapidly rose through the ranks.

Today, training at the prestigious Karni Singh Shooting Range, she represents a new generation of Indian shooting talent ambitious, fearless, and resilient. Her journey proves that careers are not defined by the opportunities lost, but by how athletes respond to them.

Paris 2024 may have slipped away. But for Tilottama Sen, a new target is already in sight. And if her recent rise is any indication, India’s newest national champion is only getting started.