Teammates since 2002, Olympian shooters Gagan Narang, Annu Raj Singh to wed

Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Annu Raj Singh are set to tie the knot in Hyderabad later this month.

The two Indian shooters have been teammates since 2002. While Gagan Narang no longer competes, Annu Raj Singh is still active.

Both competed at the London 2012 Olympics, where Gagan Narang bagged the bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle event. Annu Raj Singh, 37, is a pistol shooter.

The duo decided to marry during the forced break from normal business due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year. 

“Every now and then there was some competition or trial, which couldn't be skipped,” Annu, an Arjuna Award winner, explained to the Times of India. “Gagan wanted me to stay focused on my shooting.”

Gagan, meanwhile, has been running the Gun for Glory Academy through his Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation for several years now.

The academy has produced shooters like current women’s world No. 1 rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan, who has been named in the Tokyo Olympics shooting team.

“We both have been representing the country for many years and when you are busy competing, your priorities are different,” Gagan Narang, who turns 38 next month, said. “We didn’t think of getting married till last year when we finally got some to think about things other than shooting.

“We know the nature of the sport and that made it easier for us to know each other well,” Gagan added. “We have seen the lows and highs together. This helped us take the decision (to get married).”