Kamaljeet overcomes hardship to realise Asian Games dream after injury setback

Asian Games-bound men's air pistol shooter Kamaljeet and his family endured financial strain during the early stages of his professional career, but those sacrifices have finally helped him break into the elite level.

Now, the 22-year-old is all set to realise his dream of competing at the continental showpiece.

Kamaljeet initially made his mark as a 50m marksman, winning the Junior World Championship gold in the event in Changwon in 2023. He further cemented his place in the senior ranks by claiming an individual silver medal at the Asian Championships in New Delhi earlier this year.

However, it was in the highly competitive 10m air pistol event that Kamaljeet truly cut his teeth. Backed by a string of strong performances on the domestic circuit, he earned a place in India's national squad for next month's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

"We are a middle-class family, but my parents never let me quit shooting. I had to manage my own expenses for course fees and international matches early on, and there were times I thought I wouldn't continue in the 50m pistol event.

"It took me two to three years to earn that money back, but my family never asked questions-they gave me whatever I needed to keep going," said Kamaljeet.

An aspiring athlete from Rewari, whose track career was cut short by injury, Kamaljeet turned to shooting in 2019. He has since carved a niche for himself as one of India's leading 50m pistol shooters, though now he is equally well-versed with the nuances of 10m air pistol.

"Transitioning from track and field to shooting required a strong support network back home," he said.

"I have only one shooting coach who taught me everything from scratch. He is from my village, so our relationship feels like family. Between my coach and my uncle at home, I’ve had the strongest foundation throughout this journey (transition)," he added.

With 10m air pistol world champion Samrat Rana and World Championship bronze medallist Varun Tomar missing out on the Asian Games shooting squad due to the National Rifle Association's selection policy, the onus will be on Kamaljeet, Kedarling Uchaganve and Aakash Bharadwaj to deliver at the continental showpiece.

"Earlier, I used to struggle a lot just to manage basic expenses, but having sponsorship and support from Sports Authority of India took a huge weight off my shoulders," he said.

Kamaljeet views his ISSF World Cup outing in Hangzhou, China, last month as a vital stepping stone towards the Asian Games.

Though the youngster finished 25th in the 10m air pistol event and was not at his best, the experience provided him with valuable exposure against the world's top shooters.

"The World Cup was a valuable learning experience. While my performance wasn't exactly what I wanted, it motivated me to refine my preparation. This will be my first Asian Games, and having gained international match exposure, I feel much more confident entering the range in Japan," he said.

Looking back on his transition from an injured athlete to an Asian Games-bound shooter, Kamaljeet added, "Earlier, I used to shoot good scores only in practice, but now I have the belief that I can deliver the same performance under match pressure.

"One lesson has stayed with me through every phase: if it doesn't happen the way you wanted, it will happen in a better way than you imagined."

(Except for the headline and the short description, this story has not been edited by The Bridge staff and is published from a syndicated feed)