National Games: 15-year-old Jonathan sinks Olympic medallist Sarabjot to win 10m air pistol

Karnataka's 15-year-old Jonathan Gavin Antony caused a major upset at the 2025 National Games on Monday, beating the 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist Sarabjot Singh to win the men's 10m air pistol gold.

Jonathan, who trains at the Hawkeye Shooting Academy in Bengaluru, shot a total of 240.7 in the final to become the youngest-ever to win men's 10m air pistol title at the National Games.

He pipped Services' Ravinder Singh (240.3) and Gurpreet Singh (220.1), who took home the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Jonathan also got the better of the Sarabjot, who had won the 10m air pistol mixed team event bronze along with Manu Bhaker at the Paris Olympics, in the competition.

Sarabjot finished fourth with a score of 198.4 in the final.

Jonathan did not have the best of starts in the final, faltering in the first two series of ten shots each. He, however, got to his best as soon as the two-shot elimination began and climbed up to win the gold medal.

"I was very nervous [at the start]," Jonathan told The Bridge. "I wasn't focusing on others score and not concentrating on myself."

Jonathan picked up the sport as an 11-year-old on the insistence of his mother Ancy.

Ancy herself was a university level shooter, winning medals in rifle shooting during her college days. She had a plan chalked out for her son very early on.

The teenager enjoys a bit of chess and skating but shooting is where his mother felt he would excel at.

Having competed in shooting herself, Ancy understands the sport better than a lot of people. Though Jonathan even shoots rifle, she felt her son should pursue a career in pistol shooting instead.

"The style is different," said Ancy with a laugh. "You have to stand out and with his height pistol is perfect."

Over the years, Jonathan has fallen in love with the sport. He starts his day with a practice session at 5:30 in the morning and spends his entire weekends in the academy with his coach, training and looking at ways to improve.

"I have to call them and tell him to come home," revealed Ancy.

Jonathan has his priorities set. He wants to make it to the junior Indian team soon and compete in the ISSF World Cups and later make it to the Olympic Games.

A tenth grade student, he has his board exams fast approaching. He has to juggle that with the the upcoming Junior National Trials, which will be held in Delhi later this month.

Jonathan is ready to shuttle between his home city Bengaluru for his exams and the national capital for the trials.

Even after the qualification round ended on Sunday and Jonathan qualified for the final, he went back to his room and picked up the book.

"He wasn't worried at all after the qualification round. He was studying and watching cartoons," the mother said. "I was worried and praying."