India and Indian shooters did really well in shooting at the 2018 Asian Games, thanks to Saurabh Chaudhary and Rahi Sarnobat’s gold medals.
But now, five years later, none of the 10 people who won medals are on the Indian shooting team anymore.
In 2018, the Indian shooters team did really well at the Asian Games and won 9 medals, which was a big achievement. But now, five years later, none of the 10 Indian medal winners from that team are part of the 30-member team selected for the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games starting on September 23.
Back in 2018, Indian shooters won 9 medals – 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze. This was the second-best performance for Indian shooters at the Asian Games, with the best one being in 2006 led by Jaspal Rana’s success.
Rani Sarnobat made history by becoming the first woman to win a gold medal in shooting at the Asian Games. Shardul Vihan, who was just 15 years old at the time, became the youngest shooter to win a medal in the Asian Games. Saurabh chaudhary also won a gold medal in the 10m Pistol event, which was India’s first in that category. This success was a result of the new generation of shooters, including Shardul and Lakshay Sheoran.
In the 2018 Asian Games, India ranked third in the shooting medal to Italy. behind only China and South Korea. Now, let’s take a look at what happened to those talented shooters who contributed to India’s success back then.
Abhishek Verma (Bronze medalist – 10m pistol)
Abhishek Verma wasn’t one of the younger shooters, but he was still part of the new generation of Indian shooters who were making their mark at the 2018 Asian Games. He started his shooting career relatively late. Winning a medal at the Asian Games was a big deal for him, as it was his first major international medal.
In 2019, he won a gold medal at the Beijing ISSF World Cup, which earned him a spot in the Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately, his performance at the Olympics wasn’t as good, and he finished in 17th place. After that, he was not selected for the national team, and he struggled to get back into top form. In June 2023, during the national trials, he finished in 6th place.
Sourabh chaudhary (Gold medalist – 10m pistol)
When Indian shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the 10m air pistol finals at the 2018 Asian Games at the young age of 16, many thought he was going to have an amazing career. But after a disappointing performance at the 2020 Olympics, his shooting form hasn’t been the same. He tried to improve during the national trials to make it to the Asian Games team, but it was too late for him to make a comeback.
Rahi Sarnobat (25m pistol)
Rahi Sarnobat’s win in the 25m pistol event made her the first Indian woman shooter to get gold at the Asian Games. Although she isn’t on the current team. she faced physical challenges like neuropathic pain but managed to do really well in national competitions.
Apurvi Chandela (Mixed rifle team)
Apurvi Chandela hasn’t been on the national shooting team since the Tokyo Olympics, where she didn’t do well and finished 36th. In December of that year, she was removed from the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) list. Ravi Kumar faced a two-year ban because he tested positive for a banned substance in 2019. when he came back to the national trails last year, he didn’t perform very well and didn’t make a significant impact.
Follow us on INSTAGRAM & TWITTER
*Do share his post with your friends*