Sarabjot Singh won his first Olympic medal in Paris Games© AFP
India achieved another historic first in its Olympic history as Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh helped the nation earn its second medal at the Paris Games. It was the first time that India clinched any medal in a team event at the Olympic Games, with Manu and Sarabjot getting the better of the South Korean pair 16-10. While the entire country has been singing praises for Manu, Sarabjot also proved himself on the grand stage, playing an equally important role in doubling India's tally.
While Manu Bhaker has been at the top of the shooting pedestal for a while, Sarabjot used the Paris Olympics to shoot to glory.
Who Is Sarabjot Singh?
One of the finest shooters India has produced, Sarabjot Singh hails from a farmer's family in Ambala. He is the son of Jatinder Singh, a farmer from Ambala, and Hardeep Kaur, who is a homemaker. Sarabjot studied at DAV College, Chandigarh, and trained under coach Abhishek Rana.
The 22-year-old is known for his maturity and grounded nature, despite being a prolific shooter in the 10m air pistol arena. It was his recent achievements and self-confidence that made the Indian sporting fraternity believe he could secure a podium finish at the Olympics. And, he didn't disappoint.
Sarabjot first saw a few kids wielding air guns at a local range during a summer camp when he was quite young. At the age of 13, Sarabjot dreamt of becoming a footballer but shooting was another sport that interested him.
In 2014, Sarabjot went to his father and said, "Dad, I want to pursue shooting". His father Jitender Singh, knew what his son wanted but had to inform him that the sport was expensive, especially for a farmer. Sarabjot insisted for months, and his parents had to heed his passion.
Sarabjot first shot to fame when he won a gold medal at the 2019 Junior World Championship. He was also a part of the Indian shooting team that won gold at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. He then bagged an individual bronze at the 2023 Asian Championships.
India's shooting team was under pressure to bring home medals from the Paris Games after failing to open its account at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As the list of top shooters was compiled, Sarabjot's name was among the favourites. While Sarabjot failed to fetch a medal in the individual 10m air pistol event, he didn't disappoint in the mixed-team version of the same category.