As a two-year-old, Gagan Narang aimed a toy gun at balloons in a shooting stall in Chennai’s Marina Beach. Twenty-seven years later, he was staring down the crosshairs at the historic Royal Artillery Barracks in London, shooting for a medal at the 2012 Olympics.
He clinched bronze in the 10m Air Rifle event that day and with it, India’s first medal of that edition of the Games.
A four-time Olympian with multiple World Cup titles, the Chennai-born shooter has done much to make India proud on the global stage.
Be it his exploits with the rifle or through his famed ‘Gun for Glory’ academy which nurtured several prodigies such as Elavenil Valarivan, Indian shooter Gagan Narang has played a key role in raising the standard of the sport in his country over the years.
Drawn to the sport after his dad gifted him an air pistol when he was in his early teens, Gagan Narang would make his mark early with a string of fine performances in domestic shooting championships.
It wasn’t long before he managed to earn a place in the Indian team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. However, Gagan Narang’s Olympic debut did not go as planned as he fell short of making the final in the 10m air rifle event. Not letting it affect him adversely, the Indian shooter would soon get back in his groove.
Athlete Olympic Results Content
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