Sarabjot Singh Takes Home The Arjuna Award 2024
Sarabjot Singh’s success in his shooting career will mark the reason for the honor of the prestigious Arjuna Award, which he is to receive from no other than the President Of India, Shri Droupadi Murmu on January 17, 2025. A Bit More About The Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award is awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to the Indian sportspersons with exceptional performances in their respective sports. For Sarabjot Singh, it was the fruit of sheer hard work, more so after an inspiring performance in the Paris Olympics 2024. Sarabjot Singh’s Stunning Performances At Paris 2024 Sarabjot Singh was part of history with Manu Bhaker in the mixed team event 10m pistol in the Paris Olympics 2024. Then, this disheartening moment came when Sarabjot Singh was barely missing the mark and could not get his way into the final of the competition in men’s 10m pistol. Here, the gallant Sarabjot Singh was a star player when he joined Manu Bhaker and brought India’s second Olympic medal at Paris 2024 as a bronze medal in the mixed team event. Sarabjot Singh’s Story Sarabjot Singh comes from Dheen village in Ambala, Haryana. His father is a farmer, and mother is a homemaker: Jatinder Singh and Hardeep Kaur. Sarabjot had the simplest of backgrounds. He was a student of DAV College, Chandigarh, coached by Abhishek Rana. Was Sarabjot Singh Always Into Shooting? Sarabjot Singh was into shooting initially because kids used to practice at summer camp with air guns. He always wanted to become a footballer. He had been drawn towards the shooting sport as he saw many young shooters. When he was 13, Sarabjot Singh expressed his desire to his father to take up shooting as a sport. His father was apprehensive of the fact that it was too expensive. Sarabjot’s determination made him take up shooting. His persistence paid off with a Gold medal at the 2019 Junior World Championship in Suhl. Sarabjot Singh And Manu Bhaker Script History This is history in the making as Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker bagged a bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team on July 30, 2024, in Paris at Chateauroux Shooting Centre. For all the series of the competition, the Indian duo managed to lead and establish an initial advantage going into the final round where they remained well-attentive, closing out the South Korean challenge, 16-10. Sarabjot Singh At The Olympics Sarabjot Singh had no easy sailing at the Olympics. Sarabjot could not qualify for the finals of the qualification round in men’s 10m air pistol; he did come close, though. Ninth place is not far from a medal. Disappointed yet composed, Sarabjot Singh had decided to take this experience as a lesson. Interviewed by the host broadcaster right after the qualification round, Sarabjot confessed to an off day and vowed to put in extra efforts and make amends later on. It was sheer persistence and composure of Sarabjot Singh that he went out to win this gold medal with Manu Bhaker in such a milestone. Little did this small town from Dheen village know that one among its villagers would soon go out to win his Olympic medal. Such is the relentless dedication and passion that Sarabjot Singh has for shooting. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris 2024 Medallists Return To National Shooting Championships
India’s Paris Olympics 2024 medallists are expected to return to competitive shooting at the Senior National Shooting Championships, which will commence on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Olympic Medalists Return To Action At National Shooting Championships The Senior National Shooting Championships will feature big names such as Swapnil Kusale, who will be competing in the rifle events and Sarabjot Singh, who will compete in the pistol events. However, the star of India’s Paris 2024 campaign, Manu Bhaker, will only compete in the Minimum Qualification Score (MQS) section, meaning that her scores will not be taken into account in the competition. Will Manu Bhaker Participate At National Shooting Championships? Manu Bhaker was a double medallist at the Paris Olympics 2024. She has sought to be considered for the MQS section while she continues to recover and polish her skills. After a long break following her success at Paris 2024, she traveled with her personal coach, Jaspal Rana to Lugano, Switzerland, to focus on improving the technical aspects of her weapon at the Morini factory. Currently, Bhaker has been training at Delhi’s Karni Singh Shooting Range however she prefers to take more time before fully re-engaging in high-level competition. Manu, the other two Olympic medallists—Kusale and Singh—are returning from a break in training by skipping the October World Cup. Selection Trials And National Games After selection trials, the National Games are scheduled in Uttarakhand starting from January 28,2025 to February 14, 2025. Even the NRAI has not stated its official selection policy in place yet, though debate is going on about alterations. Among such, one important proposal on table includes the right to practice the national campers with personal coaches outside the national camps, which is similar to that adopted by the NRAI a few years back at Paris Olympics where shooters ready to head for the Games can meet their personal coaches who remain in touch with national coaches. NRAI Policy Discussions And Support Elite Shooters With domestic competition still growing, another proposal in discussion is to help shooters who have fallen out of the national team’s ecosystem. It is challenging for many shooters to re-enter the national camp once they are out for some time. This new policy may help in technical support and coaching for such talents. Participation At Senior National Shooting Championships A record 13,522 shooters have enrolled for the national championships, which will be participated in rifle events, with the maximum number of entries (7,013). Rifle competitions will be held from December 15-31 at the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal. Pistol competitions will be conducted at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi. Also, 837 shotgun shooters will be taking part in skeet, trap, and double trap competitions with defending champions Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Ganemat Sekhon eyeing title retention in men’s and women’s skeet. Which athlete are you looking forward to perform at the National Shooting Championships? The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Paris 2024: India’s Performance Report Card At The Games
India’s campaign at Paris Olympics 2024 evoked mixed reviews. While India bagged six medals, thereby securing its third-best ever overall performance. The Paris Olympics 2024 campaign revealed an array of performances across different sports. Here is a report card of India’s performances at Paris Olympics 2024. Athletics: F and A+ On an overall count, the athletics contingent did very poorly, as most of its athletes failed to match their personal best. But Neeraj Chopra’s silver in javelin was a high point as it was the second-best throw of his life. While the broader athletics performance was lackluster, Chopra’s achievement earned an A+ for its high standards. Archery: C+ Although archery seemed to have some hope, it was the case that the team did not turn out to be as expected. Deepika Kumari was one among the underperformers, while Dhiraj Bommadevara and Bhajan Kaur were people with a lot of promise. The redeeming factors proved to be the historic fourth-place finish and semifinalists marking the history of the team. The management missteps by the federation and lack of top-level support pulled down the grade overall. Badminton: D For the first time since 2008, India failed to secure an Olympic medal in badminton. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and PV Sindhu were all big expectations in this realm; however, all of them underperformed. A near-bronze performance came from Lakshya Sen, which was a bright spot, but otherwise, the results were a disappointment. Boxing: F The Indian boxers suffered a poor Olympics, with several high hopes coming to naught. While both the world champions Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain didn’t return with medals, the issues with the federation regarding the selection and seeding policies were completely evident. There has to be great change in the boxing federation if future prospects are to be improved. Equestrian: B Anush Agarwalla’s qualification and performance in equestrian events were commendable, given the low expectations. Finishing 52nd was an achievement in itself and Agarwalla’s continued presence on the circuit is promising for future competitions. Golf: D Golf did not meet expectations, with Aditi Ashok’s tied-29th finish being the best among Indian golfers. Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar also underperformed. The results were below expectations, especially after Ashok’s near-miss in Tokyo. Hockey: A The Indian hockey team punched above its weight to garner bronze in a performance that matched the Tokyo iteration of the team yet again with the exact same medal. But the display in Paris was telling of how they had grown and adapted well enough to bag successive medals for the first time since over 50 years. Judo: N/A Tulika Maan’s campaign was as short as its beginning with the loss, but qualification itself was worthy. An evaluation is hard owing to the fleeting nature of her time at the event. Rowing: B Balraj Panwar’s 23rd-place finish in rowing met expectations of a low ranking as he had only started the sport a year ago. His performance, though not pathbreaking in any way, was a decent start. Sailing: C+ Sailing results were disappointing with Vishnu Saravanan and Nethra Kumanan finishing 18th and 21st. Though not medal contenders by a distance, they had the experience to finish a bit higher than what eventually did. Shooting: A+ Shooting became India’s standout sport, with three medals, ending a 12-year drought. Two bronze medals from Manu Bhaker and the good performances of Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale proved that Indian shooters could really throw their weight in this discipline and their achievements deserving of an A+. Swimming: B+ Swimming turned out some encouraging results, especially some fine finishes by India’s swimmers. Though there were no medals, the performances of Srihari Nataraj and others did showcase a lot of promise and pointed out the requirement of more investments in this sport. Table Tennis: C and A India’s performance in table tennis had mixed results. The men’s team did less than ordinary, however the women’s team put up quite a stellar show, with Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula reaching the quarterfinal. It was a high point in a performance that left much to be desired in other sports. For now, the better part of India’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 can be described as giving mixed indicators of gains and challenges to be overcome in different sports. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shteye
Paris 2024: Sarabjot Singh’s Journey To The Podium
Sarabjot Singh has marked a remarkable milestone in Indian sports by clinching a bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics 2024. Partnering with Manu Bhaker, Singh played a crucial role in securing India’s second medal at Paris 2024, overcoming earlier setbacks to achieve his dream. The Indian duo displayed exceptional skill and composure at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, defeating South Korea 16-10 in the final. Sarabjot Singh contributed by scoring 110.2 points out of India’s total of 261.3. His performance included pivotal shots of 10.2 and 10.5 that ensured India’s victory. From Humble Beginnings to Olympic Stardom Sarabjot Singh hails from Dheen village in Ambala, Haryana, where his father Jatinder Singh works as a farmer and his mother Hardeep Kaur is a homemaker. His introduction to shooting came during his childhood at a summer camp, where he was captivated by the sight of children using air guns. Though initially aspiring to be a footballer, Singh’s passion shifted to shooting after this experience. In 2014, at the age of 13, Singh expressed his desire to pursue shooting to his father. Despite concerns about the sport’s cost, Singh’s persistent efforts convinced his family to support his decision. His early foray into shooting was marked by a silver medal in his debut district-level tournament, which set the stage for his future successes. Rise to Prominence Singh’s ascent in the shooting world began in earnest when he joined the AR Shooting Academy in Ambala Cantt, training under coach Abhishek Rana. His dedication quickly paid off as he won gold medals at the 2019 Junior World Championship and achieved significant success in subsequent competitions. Singh secured the Asian Games team gold and mixed team silver in 2023 and an individual bronze at the 2023 Asian Championships, which earned him a quota place for the Paris Olympics 2024. Despite his impressive track record, Singh faced a heart-wrenching moment at the Paris Games when he missed out on the final of the men’s 10m pistol event by a narrow margin, finishing ninth with a score of 577-16x. The deciding factor was a single inner 10, highlighting the intense competition and precision required in Olympic shooting. A Triumphant Redemption Sarabjot Singh’s Olympic journey took a triumphant turn with the bronze medal win in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team event. His contribution was crucial as he and Manu Bhaker maintained their lead throughout the match, eventually securing a comfortable victory. Singh was awarded with his first Olympic medal. Click here to know more on how the game went. Manu Bhaker, who had previously won a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event, became the first Indian to win multiple medals at a single Olympic Games. Sarabjot Singh’s achievement places him among the elite shooters to have represented India on this prestigious stage. Sarabjot Singh’s journey from a young boy with a dream to an Olympic medalist serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye