Shillong, Jan 18: It does not always happen, so when it does it is a special moment – a mother-daughter duo are taking aim together in the shooting events at the 5th Meghalaya Games in Tura.
Marbarisha Mylliempdah (44) and Toiaibha Mylliempdah (24) are not going up against each other, however. Mum Marbarisha is participating in the 10m and 50m rifle events, while daughter Toiaibha is in the 10m and 25m pistol events.
This also is not a case of a child following in a parent’s footsteps but, rather, the other way around.
Marbarisha became inspired to take up shooting after witnessing her daughter’s passion for the sport. Initially, introverted, she would always accompany her daughter for championship events, supporting her and boosting her confidence from the beginning. Witnessing her daughter excel ignited a spark within Marbarisha and initiated a new chapter in her life.
“Watching Toiaibha pursue her passion with such dedication and skill lit a fire within me,” she said. “I realised that it is never too late to follow your dreams.”
Toiaibha got into the sport through the National Cadet Corps (NCC). “As a school student, I was a part of NCC cadets and it was here when I started to develop my interest in shooting. My mother would always encourage me to go for NCC camps and kept motivating me to pursue my passion for shooting. In 2016, I got a call from a friend inviting me to join the Shooting Association of Meghalaya. It was my mother’s dream to see me become an athlete. She used to accompany me for my practice… At first, my mum was hesitant about joining in because of her age but she would always accompany me for state or national championships, supporting me and boosting my confidence.”
After a year of training, Marbarisha took part in the 4th Meghalaya Games in 2022.
“Since then, we would be participating in many competitions and become cheerleaders for each other,” her daughter said.
(Photo contributed)
