Tokyo 2020 Paralympics
Tokyo Paralympics: Manish Narwal, who wanted to be a world-class footballer, wins gold in shooting
Indian shooter Manish Narwal has bagged a gold in shooting at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Indian shooter Manish Narwal created history on Saturday morning as he became India's youngest gold medallist at the Paralympics, when he bagged the top honours at the Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 Final at the Asaka Shooting Range.
Narwal, who had finished 7th in the men's 10m Air Pistol final, overcomes his defeat with the highest honours and with his Indian compatriot Singhraj Adhana finishing with silver medal. After 24 shots in the final, Narwal raked up 218.2 points ahead of Singhraj's 216.7 points.
The 19-year-old also became the second shooter after Avani Lekhara to win a gold medal in shooting at the Tokyo Games.
Narwal has had a roller coaster ride to his maiden appearance at the Paralympic Games. Hailing from Faridabad, Haryana, Narwal had a keen interest in sports. He grew up wanting to become a footballer and represent the country at the highest levels in the sport.
Unfortunately, he could not fulfil his footballing dreams due to a congenital ailment in his right hand, but with the encouragement and support of his father, Manish ventured into other sports to try and find his niche.
Narwal and his father's dreams have paid off as Manish will be returning with the greatest reward possible and would be remembered as one of India's greatest sporting pride.
