Sport was too expensive, but that didn't stop this fisherman’s brave daughter from conquering it. Already with silver in the bag, Manish Keer is now aiming to add a gold medal to her name. She once borrowed rifles to learn the basics; the dream is the ultimate goal everyone dreams of. Keer doesn't know the meaning of giving up despite the challenges, and she took inspiration from 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to follow her dreams.
Manish is one of the 30-member strong shooting team selected by India for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan. The squad also includes two-time Olympics medallist Manu Bhaker and Olympians Rudrankksh Patil and Esha Singh. Keer will compete in the women’s trap team alongside Neeru and Aashima Ahlawat.
Who is Manisha Keer? From borrowed rifle to Asian Games dream; fisherman's daughter targets gold
Bhopal-based trap shooter, the daughter of a fisherman, is preparing for her second Asian Games with the ambition of upgrading the team silver she won in Hangzhou three years ago. The 27-year-old, who grew up in modest circumstances near Bhopal’s Upper Lake and had never held a gun as a child, first encountered shooting more than a decade ago through the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy. She is one of the seven children of Kailash Keer, a fisherman from Bhopal.
The expensive sport was once beyond her family’s means, yet she progressed rapidly after taking up trap shooting. Keer claimed a junior World Championship silver in 2018 and later contributed to India’s women’s trap team silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She has also collected medals at ISSF World Cups and Asian Championships.
Manisha Keer’s beginning of the journey towards gold
According to an exclusive report by India.com, the reason she chose trap shooting is that ‘Clay birds and targets flying’ always attracted her. The report further stated that her father, who was ‘really interested in shooting ’, helped her in shooting practice by hanging up balloons at their home. Her sister Sonia, as per the aforementioned report, was the one to insist her join MP Shooting Academy in Bhopal.
According to a report in the Times of India, Manish stated that her parents’ immense support played a vital role in her dreams. As per the report, she revealed:
“We didn't have much, so I practiced with borrowed rifles for a long time.”
Manisha’s journey from helping her father sell fish to representing India on the continental stage continues to highlight the role of state academies in opening shooting to athletes from non-traditional backgrounds. The inspiring Indian athlete is now looking to upgrade the medals in the journey she began by borrowing rifles.
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