Asian Games debutant and only 16-year old Saurabh Chaudhary has become a teenage shooting sensation as he won a Gold medal in Men’s 10m Air Pistol event in his inaugural Asian Games and is now only the fifth shooter in Indian history to have won a gold medal.
Saurabh Chaudhary performed an Asian Games record score of 240.7 to clinch the gold medal and the gold medal is also very special for him as he went through adversity.
Saurabh was in the second position for the majority of the tournament but soon grabbed a lead as Japanese shooter Matsuda fired 8.9 in his penultimate shot and the Indian immediately gained the lead by firing a 10.2 off his second-last shot.
His fellow Indian Abhishek Verma, shot 219.3 to secure the bronze medal.
Prime minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh also congratulated Saurabh Chaudhary on Twitter:
16-year old Saurabh Chaudhary illustrates the potential and prowess our youth is blessed with. This exceptional youngster brings home a Gold in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol event at the @asiangames2018. Congratulations to him! #AsianGames2018 pic.twitter.com/FHmF6TM8tK
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2018
Sixteen year old Saurabh Chaudhary has clinched Gold Medal in 10m Air Pistol event by producing a record score at the ongoing Asian Games. Congratulations to him on his golden achievement. I also congratulate Abhishek Verma who has bagged Bronze Medal in the same event.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 21, 2018
In an interview to ANI, Chaudhary said:
“I did not feel any pressure, I like farming. We don’t get much time off from training but whenever I do, I go back to my Village (Kalina) and help my father.”
At just 16-year-old only sky is the limit for Saurabh Chaudhary.