Indian-origin shooter Ankita Deokule has achieved a major milestone in her sporting career by being selected for the United States squad for the upcoming Munich World Cup, scheduled to begin on May 24. She will compete in the women’s 25m sports pistol event, marking a significant step forward in her international shooting journey.
Her selection carries deep personal meaning, as her father, Amol Deokule, a former shooter from India, has long dreamed of seeing his family represent a country at the highest level of the sport. Although he could not continue his own shooting career to the elite international stage, he now watches his daughter fulfill that aspiration on the global arena.
Ankita, who was born in the United States after her father moved there in the early 2000s, has emerged as one of the promising young shooters in the American circuit. She began her shooting journey after the COVID-19 pandemic period, when her family revisited the sport. Initially introduced to the shooting range by her father, she soon developed a strong interest in the discipline and started training more seriously.
By 2021, Ankita had begun competing in air pistol events and later transitioned to the 25m sports pistol category in 2023. Her progress accelerated after she joined the Ohio State University pistol team, where she trained under experienced coaches and refined her technical skills. Her consistent performance at state-level competitions helped her secure a place in the national squad.
Speaking about her selection, Ankita described the opportunity as a dream come true, expressing pride in representing the United States at a major international event. She said she is eager to compete against the world’s best shooters, including athletes she admires, such as India’s Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, who will also participate in the Munich event.
Amol Deokule, who now lives in the US and works in the IT sector, has a background in competitive shooting himself. He previously represented Maharashtra in 10m air rifle events during the late 1990s before stepping away from the sport due to professional commitments. However, his passion for shooting remained strong, eventually influencing his daughter’s involvement in the sport.
Today, he takes pride in seeing Ankita compete at the international level, calling her achievement a realization of a long-held dream. Ankita’s journey also highlights a growing presence of Indian-origin athletes in global sports teams, particularly in disciplines like shooting, where talent development and international training opportunities continue to shape new careers.
Her participation in the Munich World Cup is expected to be a key moment in her development as an international shooter, as she looks to make her mark on the global stage while continuing to build her sporting career in the United States.
