Rahi Sarnobat: 5 things you didn't know about India's ace shooter

Rahi Sarnobat needs no introduction. The 30-year-old shooter from Kohlapur, Maharashtra has been India's premier shooter in the 25m pistol category for over a decade. She has won medals at the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games, and the ISSF World Cups.

In this article, we will take a look at a few lesser known things about Rahi.

Rahi Sarnobat is an Arjuna awardee

Rahi Sarnobat was conferred the Arjuna Award in 2018, for her achievements in the field of sports shooting.

Honoured to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award from the Honorable President of India @rashtrapatibhvn at the Rashtrapati Bhavan #ArjunaAward #SportsAwardsIndia #Sportsaward pic.twitter.com/2f21G7AadO

— Rahi Sarnobat OLY (@SarnobatRahi) September 25, 2018

Rahi Sarnobat was a member of the NCC

During her school days Rahi joined the National Cadet Corps at the behest of her father, Jeevan Sarnobat, who wanted her to learn discipline. It was at the NCC where Rahi was introduced to sports shooting. After picking up an interest in the sport, she decided to take formal training in it.

Rahi is the first Indian woman shooter to win Asian Games gold

Rahi Sarnobat became the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. She achieved the feat at the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang, Jakarta when she shot a total of 34 in a tied final, and beat her Thai opponent N Yangpaiboon in a subsequent tiebreak.

Rahi Sarnobat's coach was her opponent once

Munkhbayar Dorjsuren is a former Olympian and a two-time bronze medal winner, at Barcelona 1992 and Beijing 2008. Dorjsuren competed in the 25m pistol event against Rahi Sarnobat at the 2012 London Olympics.

Dorjsuren has helped Rahi overcome an elbow injury, and Rahi's performances have improved under her coaching. The medals at the ISSF World Cups in Munich and Osijek are proof of that.

Rahi Sarnobat is a government officer

The government of Maharashtra offered the role of Deputy Collector in Pune's revenue department in 2014. She accepted the offer and has been working as a government officer since.

Rahi Sarnobat is a member of the strong Indian shooting contingent at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and is expected to secure a podium finish.

Checkout: Tokyo Olympics Medal Tally