Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist shooter Manish Narwal displayed pluck and courage in ample measure before settling for a silver medal in the men's 10m air pistol (SH1) final at the Paralympic Games 2024 on Friday, August 30. (Full Coverage | More Sports News)
The 22-year-old Manish, winner of 50m pistol gold in Tokyo three years ago, looked determined to do an encore in Paris, leapfrogging from No.5 to the top of the heap. But just when the gold looked well within his grasp, Manish came up with a series of poor shots in the '9s', which saw him drop to second place and finally settle for silver with a score of 234.9.
Veteran South Korean marksman, 37-year-old Jo Jeongdu upped his game just when it mattered to clinch gold with a score of 237.4, missing the Paralympic Games record by mere decimals.
Who Is Manish Narwal?
Manish hails from Ballabgarh in Haryana. Since birth, he had a deformity in his right hand. However, that did not stop him from aiming big. As a young kid, Manish dreamt of becoming a footballer. However, his physical health did not help him fulfill his dreams however, it led to him becoming a shooter.
In 2016, Manish's father took him to a shooting range in his hometown. There, the youngster trained under coach Rakesh Thakur. Since then, it was no looking back as Manish claimed a bronze at the 2019 World Para Championships.
In 2021, he created a world record at the Para Shooting World Cup in the P4 mixed 50m pistol SH1 event, that earned him a gold. The very same year, Manish also earned the prestigious Khel Ratna.
Manish looks up to the likes of Lionel Messi and Usain Bolt, and seeks their inspiration and using it on his own sporting career.
Manish did well at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics that earned him a gold medal. At the 2022 Para Shooting World Championships, he clinched a gold in the Air 10m pistol SH1 event. His Tokyo heroics saw him bag a bronze at the Par Asian Games in 2023.
Manish clinched two silver medals at the 2024 WSPS Para Shooting World Cup.
(with PTI inputs)
