National Games 2025: Rahi Sarnobat puts behind serious health scare; shoots gold

Rahi Sarnobat was a name synonymous with women's 25m pistol shooting in India during the pre-pandemic era. She even competed at the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games 2021, finishing 32nd in the qualification round.

She did bounce back well from that disappointing campaign in Japan, even winning a gold medal at the 2022 ISSF World Cup Cairo in March.

But tragedy soon struck and sent her Sarnobat out of the circuit for a good two years, before marking a return to full training in the latter part of last year.

The 34-year-old from Maharashtra seems to be getting back to her older self as she clinched the women's 25m pistol gold at the 2025 National Games in Uttarakhand on Sunday.

"I was unwell and could not participate in tournaments for two years," Sarnobat opened up in a conversation with The Bridge. "It was not that I was not performing well but I was unwell and was on bed rest for months.

"Now I am getting back and as you can see I am improving already," she added with a smile.

Sarnobat was diagnosed with neuropathic pain – a neurological condition which damages the nervous system in mid-2022. She was unable to get out of the bed due to immense pain and holding her beloved pistol for more than four minutes was a challenge.

The question whether she would be able to shoot again lingered.

When Sarnobat started missing training and national camps, people, including fellow shooters, wondered if she had retired. If she would ever come back.

But armed with determination and her passion for the sport, Sarnobat returned to full time training in October last year.

"Before that [October 2024] I was played in certain competitions as well, but I wasn't that well," she said. "Since September-October 2024, we can say, I started competing again."

When she was confined to the bed, away from the sport she dearly loved, Sarnobat spent her time reading and watching documentaries. She read about her health condition, about psychology, about sleep, and of course about shooting.

She painted as well and watched "informative web series."

She was hooked to Philosophy and now vouches for SL Bhyrappa – a Kannada language novelist, philosopher, and screen writer.

All through it, returning to shooting was always on her mind.

"What keeps me in the sport still is the passion and love for the game I have and it is inbuilt," said Sarnobat. "No phase good or bad was able to change that.

"I feel there's so much I haven't explored and that is motivating for me," she added.

Having returned to the sport full-time, Sarnobat is already aiming big. She wants to get fitter and healthier. She also wants to experiment with her game.

"I am looking to experiment," she said. "I haven't experimented a lot with technical aspects of my game and this year is going to be about that."

Though she has been in the sport for close to two decades, having picked it up as a teenager in a NCC camp, Sarnobat maintains she still has a lot to learn.

But her ultimate goal is clear.

"What's the point of me being in shooting if I am not looking at the Olympics?," Sarnobat asked.

"I am definitely aiming for LA 2028," she answered herself, seconds later.