Over the past few years, shooting has become a prominent sport for India at the Olympics. When we talk about shooting, two words come to mind: hopes and heartbreaks. In 2004, India secured its first Olympic medal in shooting—a long awaited moment for the country, but one that promised a bright future in the sport. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was the first Indian shooter to bring home an Olympic medal, winning a coveted silver in the shotgun event at the Athens Olympics. Just four years later, Abhinav Bindra achieved the unthinkable—a gold medal at the Olympics, in the 10m air rifle event. This was a revolutionary moment for shooting in India.
India continued to win medals in shooting at the London 2012 Olympics, with Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar securing two medals for the country. It seemed promising, with India winning one medal each in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
High expectations were set for the Rio Olympics, but those hopes were dashed when 12 Indian shooters failed to win a single medal. The situation worsened at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where only one shooter managed to make it into the finals.
The NRAI faced criticism, and the Indian shooting scene was in chaos. Expectations were low for the Paris Olympics, with many critics and fans accepting that Indian shooters excel in the ISSF World Cup and Asian Games but falter at the Olympics.
The Paris campaign
The Paris Olympics began on a disappointing note. Mixed teams kicked off the competition, facing a baptism by fire. Ramita Jindal and Arjun Babuta showed promise in the 10m air rifle mixed team event but ultimately fell short, finishing sixth and missing the qualification cutoff by a single point. Later, Sarabjot Singh competed in the 10m air pistol qualification, securing a ninth-place finish. There were speculations that India might repeat its Tokyo Olympic history and face another disappointing campaign.
Manu brings the first medal
Manu Bhaker broke the jinx by winning a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event. It was historic, as Manu became the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic medal. This victory boosted her confidence, and later she won another bronze with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed event. With these two podium finishes, Manu Bhaker became the first Indian to win two medals at the same Olympics since India’s independence in 1947.
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Some near misses
Despite these victories, India had some near misses as well. Arjun Babuta came close to a podium finish in the men’s 10m air rifle final at the Paris Olympics, securing fourth place with a score of 208.4, but Croatia’s shooter scored 209.8 to take the bronze.
Another heartbreak came in the Mixed Skeet bronze-medal match, where Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka narrowly missed the chance to win a medal in the shotgun event after 20 years, ultimately falling short against China. Two-time medalist Manu Bhaker also fell short in the women’s 25m air pistol event, finishing in fourth place.
Swapnil Kusale surprises all
Swapnil Kusale was the biggest surprise for the Indian contingent. The 28-year-old shooter unexpectedly made it into the final, outperforming decorated shooter Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar. Swapnil performed exceptionally well, winning bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions event. This marked a hat-trick of medals for India.
Disappointing performances from Anjum Moudgil and Esha Singh
Anjum Moudgil and Esha Singh’s performances were among the most disappointing for the Indian shooting contingent. In the women’s rifle 3 positions event, World Record holder Anjum Moudgil and Sift Kaur Samra failed to reach the final round. Anjum Moudgil finished with 584 points, while Sift Kaur Samra, considered a strong medal contender, ended in a disappointing 31st position with 575 points. Both athletes exited the Paris Olympics with these results.
Esha Singh, who won four medals at the 2023 Asian Games and was one of the favourites to win a medal at the Paris Olympics, made an embarrassing exit in the women’s 25m air pistol event, finishing 18th in the qualification round.
A promising future
India had a strong campaign in shooting at the Paris Olympics, winning three medals but also coming close in three other events. Not only in pistol and rifle, but India also performed exceptionally well in shotgun. This was the first time India won three medals in a single Olympics. This sets the tone for the LA Olympics in 2028, making the overall result a satisfactory one for the Indian contingent.
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