Just like 14-year-old Dinidhi Desinghu, who will be the youngest athlete in India's Paris Olympics contingent, shooter Raiza Dhillon is also making her debut and will be one of the youngest athletes to represent the country in Olympics 2024.

At just 19 years old, Raiza Dhillon has already made history by earning India its first women's skeet quota for the Paris Olympics. This remarkable achievement came during the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Kuwait in January 2024. For Raiza, the journey to this milestone has been deeply personal, rooted in family traditions and the tales of guns owned by her great-grandfather.

Growing up as the only child in the Dhillon family, Raiza was inspired by her heritage. Her grandfather was the chairman of the Zila Parishad in Shamgarh, a village in Haryana's Karnal district, while her mother, Gul Dhillon, serves as the village Sarpanch "As a child, I tried many sports. My mother made me try all the sports actually but I never was really interested or good in most of them", Raiza recalls.

"So, then my dad was like, why not try shooting? And he introduced it to me in a very fun way and then eventually, we started with rifle shooting. I did rifle shooting for 4 years. Which I think was very important. It set up a good foundation for shotgun shooting. It made me like, it introduced me to the sport in a very good way and after doing rifle shooting for 4 years, I started doing shotgun shooting in 2019 and I started performing really well, really soon. So, then there was no going back from there."

Raiza's introduction to shooting was encouraged by her father, Ravijit Dhillon, who saw potential in her and sought out a competent coach. He found Amrinder Singh Cheema, a four-time national medallist and a seasoned shooter himself. "So, I started with him (Amrinder Singh Cheema) only," Raiza says. "He did an amazing and fantastic job, making the sport very fun for me to learn."

Reflecting on her early days, Raiza notes, "When the Tokyo Olympics happened, I think I started shooting one or two years before that. So, at that time, I did not really have any expectations of getting into the Olympic level." Her rapid progression in the sport, however, soon changed that. "Over the past 2-3 years I have been able to peak my performance. So, it was somewhere in the back of my mind to aim for the Paris 2024."

The 20-year-old is currently in Italy with the Indian shotgun team and their Italian coach, Ennio Falco. After a few days, they will go to Paris "We are in Italy. Our coach is actually an Italian coach, Ennie Fargo. So, he has a range here. So, we are all training here since the past two weeks. So, it's been hectic but very fun." Raiza said.

She admitted that training under Italian coach Ennio Falco, an Olympic gold medallist, has been pivotal. "Since those past 6-7 months, I have been working with our coach, Ennio Falco," Raiza explains. "And I feel like my technique has improved a lot." This rigorous preparation is essential as she heads to her first Olympics, where she hopes to replicate her success from Kuwait.

As Raiza prepares for the Paris Olympics, she remains grounded yet ambitious. "I have tried to keep very realistic goals. Keeping so many expectations is not the smartest plan," she says. "I am definitely motivated and I want to have a podium finish if I can."

With her dedication, familial support, and the guidance of experienced coaches, Raiza Dhillon is set to make her mark on the global stage, carrying forward the legacy of her ancestors and inspiring a new generation of Indian shooters.