Sarabjot Singh made his comeback in the 10m pistol mixed event, securing a bronze medal alongside Manu Bhaker at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Just a few days earlier, Sarabjot had a disappointing start to the Games when he narrowly missed a spot in the men's 10m pistol event final on July 27th.
Sarabjot and Manu made history by earning India its second medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Overcoming heartbreak, the young shooter claimed a bronze medal in Paris.
Sarabjot comes from Dheen village in Ambala, Haryana, and is the son of Jatinder Singh, a farmer, and Hardeep Kaur, a homemaker.
He finished his education at DAV College in Chandigarh and received training from coach Abhishek Rana. Sarabjot was introduced to shooting during his childhood when he witnessed some children using air guns at a temporary range during a summer camp.
At the time, the Olympic champion was only 13 and aspired to become a footballer. However, he couldn't forget the image of kids aiming at paper targets with pistols. In 2014, Sarabjot approached his father and expressed his desire to pursue shooting.
His father, a farmer, cautioned him about the sport's high cost. Despite this, Sarabjot persisted for several months, eventually winning the gold medal at the Junior World Championship in Suhl in 2019. In 2023, Sarabjot also clinched the team gold at the Asian Games and a mixed-team silver medal.
Sarabjot, who had recently struggled to overcome the disappointment of the individual competition just three days earlier, admitted to feeling significant pressure to perform.
"I'm feeling good, the game was very tough, and there was a lot of pressure; I am very happy," said the 22-year-old Sarabjot, who comes from a farming family.
The competition started unfavourably for the Indians when Sarabjot's first shot only earned a disappointing 8.6 points, whereas Bhaker scored 10.2, resulting in a combined score of 18.8. In comparison, the Koreans achieved a total score of 20.5, giving them an initial lead of 2-0.
In mixed team competitions, the team that accumulates 16 points first claims the victory.
Trailing 0-2, Bhaker's consistent performance had a positive impact, influencing Sarabjot as well. The duo went on to win the following four rounds, bringing their total score to 8-2.
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