LUCKNOW, July 1 -- The saying 'a sportsman is born, not made' doesn't apply to 15-year-old compound archer Nishtha Gupta as she was compelled to become a sportsperson by her father Vivek Gupta despite her resistance. Hailing from Shadipur village in Bijnore, Nishtha enrolled in Mathura Archery Academy in 2019, a move that culminated in her selection to India's squad for the Asian Junior Archery Championships. Training under former junior national medalist-turned-coach Yogendra Singh Rana, Nishtha steadily progressed through state and national circuits and a third-place result at the SAI trials in Sonepat on Monday secured her place in the sub-junior Indian team along with two others. "I myself wanted to excel in sport, but financial constraints never allowed me to pursue my dream. But when my son got admitted to Navodaya Vidyalaya, I started my search for a suitable sport for my daughter and I realised archery was the best suited to her," said her father Vivek on Tuesday. "She started with a wooden bow and had her first medal in the district level competition with a borrowed bow and thereafter she never looked back and now feels that my decision to put her in archery was right then," added Vivek, a journalist by profession. In fact, at national events, Nishtha has already shown the temperament and ability with medals at junior nationals. She recently set a national record in an under-15 competition, underlining both technical consistency and competitive maturity beyond her years. These results reflect disciplined training - six years at a formal academy under an experienced coach - and a supportive family network that has backed her sporting ambitions from Bijnor to national camps. Nishtha competes in the compound category, a discipline where precision, mental control, and equipment tuning are critical and her scores at recent national championships, including a 693 series that won her silver at a junior national competition, demonstrate an ability to post high qualifying totals and handle matchplay pressure. That mix of raw score potential and match experience makes her a useful asset for India's junior line-up at continental events, where team medals often depend on steady aggregate scoring across rounds. "She always believes in herself and even in tough conditions she doesn't lose her patience," said her coach Yogendra Singh Rana. Nishtha happens to be the second archer from Rana's academy to represent India. "She pays full attention to my instructions and never loses her focus as well as confidence while playing," said Rana, who trains 70-odd archers, including boys at his academy. He feels that Nishtha's selection to the Asian Junior Championships will give the archer exposure to a higher level of competition across Asia, presenting both a test and an opportunity. "In fact, she missed her first foreign exposure trip due to the recent war, but I am sure that at the Asian Championships, she will face established junior talents from nations with strong compound programs, and performing well there can accelerate her pathway to senior national camps and international circuits," he added. He also said that for a young athlete from a semi-rural background, the tournament is also a platform to attract institutional support, sponsorship, and further coaching resources that can sustain long-term development. "With the support of the CM Yogi, who gifted her Rs.2 lakh to buy bow and archery and other financial support from the state government's Eklavya Kreeda Scheme, she has managed most of her equipment, but still she needs support," said Rana. Nishtha's selection has sparked celebrations and a wave of excitement in her village, especially among young girls. With a clear goal of bringing a medal for India and continued backing from her coach and family, Nishtha's rise exemplifies the deepening talent pipeline in Indian archery and offers a story of ambition, preparation, and regional sporting pride....