MANAVJIT SINGH SANDHU
Born: 3 November 1976
Sport: Shooting (Trap)
Major Achievements: World champion (Zagreb, Croatia, 2006);
gold in Asian Clay Shooting Championship, (Singapore, 2006);
silver in Asian Games (Doha, Qatar, 2006)
Manavjit Singh Sandhu is the best trap shooter to represent
India. Born in a family of shooters, he fell in love with
the sport as a 6-year-old boy, after watching his father,
Gurbir Singh, take part in the 1982 Delhi Asian Games.
He inherited his father’s legacy and carried it forward
with aplomb.
Manavjit’s biggest moment of glory came when he laid
claim on the world champion’s crown at the 49th
ISSF World Championship, Zagreb, Croatia in July 2006, by shooting
a score of 143. It also earned him a place in 2008 Beijing
Olympics. In the team championship he won silver.
He followed that up with silver at the Doha Asian Games
in the individual and team events and gold in Asian Clay
Shooting Championship at Sngapore. Earlier in the year
he pocketed a bronze in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
He rounded off 2006 as the number one on the ISSF world
ranking list.
Manavjit was awarded the highest sports award of the land,
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, by the Government of India in
2007 for his golden performance at Zagreb.
Manavjit made his international debut at the age 17, and
has regularly won medals for the country at the international
level. He won his first international
gold medal Asian Championship in 1995. In 1998 he broke the Commonwealth
record in the men's Olympic trap pairs with Mansher Singh,
which stands unchallenged till date. Manav gives a lot
of credit for his sustained performance to his Italian
coach Marcello Dardi, who has been training the trap shooter
since 1998. Manav’s
strong points are unwavering concentration that allows
him to shoot for long hours and consistency of high scores
at the international level. At present Manav is training
in Italy, which has been his base for sometime now, under
Dardi for the 2008 Beijing Olympics for which he considered
as a serious medal prospect.
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