She missed out on Paris too, despite having won the quota (it belongs to the country). New Delhi: At 18, Tilottama Sen has already experienced the microcosm of an athlete’s life. Having missed the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games after finishing third in the selection trials, she bounced back with silver at the Asian Championships that year, securing a 10m air rifle quota for the Paris Olympics.
“I had a month-long clinic with him and we basically broke down my game in 10m event. It was like starting all over again. Back home, 50m took precedence over air rifle. “It’s time to convert this form into an Asiad medal. “I have seen how a good Asian Games can change the course of your career. We saw it with Sift (Kaur Samra) and Esha (Singh) the last time.
Tilottama won the 2025 senior Nationals title in 50m while cruising through the junior and youth categories in 10m, finishing the championships with 11 medals across events and age groups.
We worked on the basics and I gradually found my way back,” she said. I have never shot in Japan, but once I enter the range, it’s just me and the target,” she said.
Three years is a long time in elite sport, and Tilottama has used it to turn things around. “This will be my first multi-discipline event and I am really looking forward to it. The experience of meeting so many high-quality athletes, competing in a truly world class field, and the chance to win a medal for your nation is all a little overwhelming. “I’d say it is a technically superior event. It tests you physically but gives you a chance to come back.
She calls herself the “pampered baby of the team”, but has navigated the highs and lows that typify an athlete’s arc with a maturity that belies her age. I am determined to give my best,” she told HT. If you are good at 50m, chances are you’ll get better at 10m also,” she said.
