In a momentous achievement, India’s shooting contingent secured three bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking a watershed moment in the country’s Olympic history. Gagan Narang, an Olympic medallist himself and the Indian contingent’s Chef de Mission, hailed this remarkable feat as the greatest show by Indian shooters ever.
Gagan Narang praises Indian Shooters
Manu Bhaker, the young shooting sensation, clinched two medals. She partnered with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team event to secure one of the medals. Manu’s exceptional performance contributed significantly to India’s medal tally.
Adding to the glory, Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze medal in the 50m 3 positions event. His achievement exemplified determination and skill, elevating India’s standing in the shooting discipline.
Gagan Narang emphasized that this achievement surpassed any previous showing by Indian shooters at the Olympics. The previous best was two medals in 2012 when Narang himself won a bronze.
Narang expressed his joy at seeing Manu, Sarabjot, and Swapnil on the podium. He recalled competing alongside Swapnil in the 2017 Commonwealth Championship, where Swapnil had given him a tough fight for the silver medal. Seeing Swapnil achieve his dream of winning an Olympic medal felt like destiny, especially on the same day when Narang secured his own medal in 2012 in London.
“This is perhaps the greatest show by Indian shooters in the history of the Games. It has been an emotional first week in Paris, with shooting giving us a head start in the medal tally. I am overwhelmed with happiness to see Manu, Sarabjot and Swapnil win medals at the same time,” said Narang.
“I remember competing alongside Swapnil in 2017 at the Commonwealth Championship in Gold Coast, where he claimed the bronze medal after giving me a tough fight for the silver medal. It is truly emotional to see him reaching this level and achieving his dream of winning an Olympic medal for India, and that too, on the same day when I had won mine in 2012 in London. It almost feels like destiny,” he added.
Narang reminded us that as a nation, we should celebrate all our Olympians, regardless of their results. The journey to the Olympics involves years of hard work, and the margins between success and eighth place are razor-thin.
“As an athlete, it is everyone’s dream to compete at the Olympics, but only a few earn the opportunity after years of hard work. The margins in the Olympics are so less that there’s no difference in preparation between the 1st place and 8th place.”
“While winning medals is important, it is equally important to acknowledge our athletes’ efforts for their years of hard work and sacrifice. As a nation, we must celebrate all our Olympians irrespective of the results,” said Narang.
Indian contingent Chef de Mission Gagan Narang on Saturday hailed the shooting team's three bronze-winning campaign in the #Paris Games as the best show in the country's #Olympics history.https://t.co/iRl1gwTNQE
— Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) August 3, 2024
India’s shooting contingent’s historic performance in Paris has etched a new chapter in the annals of Indian sports. Let us applaud these remarkable athletes who have made the tricolour fly high on the global stage.
