PARIS: Sarabjot Singh has made India proud by winning a bronze medal for the country alongside his partner Manu Bhaker in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
The young Indian pair, both aged 22 years, teamed up to defeat South Korea 16-10 in an exhilarating display to give India its second medal on Day 4 of the ongoing Paris Olympics.
While Manu etched her name in history books by becoming the first ever athlete of independent India to win more than one medal at a single edition of the Olympics -- following her bronze finish in the women's individual event on Sunday.
On the other hand, Sarabjot became the first Indian shooter since Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar to clinch a shooting medal at the quadrennial showpiece.
Competing in his first ever Olympics, Sarabjot had lost out on a spot in the finals in the opening day of the Olympic Games on Saturday, finishing ninth, one position below the top eight.
His disappointment was short-lived as he came back strongly in the mixed team event and completed his redemption story by finishing third on the podium.
Notably, Sarabjot Singh hails from Dheen village in Ambala. His father Jatinder Singh happens to be a farmer while his mother Hardeep Kaur is a homemaker.
The young shooter pursued his higher education at DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh and trained under coach Abhishek Rana at the AR Shooting Academy in Ambala Cantt, located within the Central Phoenix Club.
Initially, Sarabjot aspired to be a footballer but destiny had other plans for him. His interest suddenly took a dramatic turn during a summer camp when he gazed children aiming at paper targets with pistols.
This episode left a lasting impact on his mind so much so that he decided to change his plans.
His father had initially resisted against his son's decision due to the expenses associated with the sport. But, he managed to convince his parents to support his decision to pursue shooting as a career.
His
shooting career started-off well as he won the silver medal in his debut district-level tournament, following which, he began receiving professional coaching under Abhishek Rana, who has been his trainer since 2016.
There was no looking back for him from thereon as he would go on to clinch two gold medals at the 65th National Shooting Championships in December 2022.
Thereafter, his career went on an upward trajectory as he shined in the tournaments that he participated in.
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