22-year-old shooter Gajanan Sahdev Khandgale had a great day at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) on Wednesday, April 28, 2022. He won a full set of medals (bronze in individual, silver in men’s team and gold in mixed team) in the 10m air rifle event. He called his parents after winning three medals and thanked them for their sacrifices recently.
Last year, his parents sold all the land they had left. He used the money received from him to buy Gajanan a rifle. Gajanan told that the land was barren, but it was a heavy decision for the family and for them. Gajanan told ‘The Indian Express’, ‘My parents agreed to sell the land to fulfill my passion for shooting.’
Gajanan said, “I used to participate in the 50m rifle three position event, but went to the 10m air rifle event because the shrapnel was cheap. Being a shooter is not easy. Especially for a person like me who doesn’t have huge bank balance. My father Sahadev runs a sandal shop in the village. My mother Somitra works in other people’s fields. Today I stand on the podium with these medals around my neck because of the sacrifice of my parents.
Gajanan hails from Talwara village in Beed district of Maharashtra. There is no shooting range near his village, but Gajanan was crazy about the mobile game PUBG. There is no comparison between the skill required to play an online game and that of professional shooting. However, Gajanan says that when he heard about the shooting camp being organized for the National Cadet Corps (NCC), his ears perked up.
Talking about his debut in the sport, Gajanan said, “I was very excited when I heard about the shooting camp. I liked the idea of shooting because of PUBG. I thought, why play only on screen. Why not actually grab the gun and aim. I could have won a medal. When Gajanan needed a shooting kit, his parents put in all their savings. He also borrowed around Rs 40,000. Gajanan too did not look back after that.
Gajanan created a record with 397 marks out of 400 in the qualification round of 10m Air Rifle event at the 30th All India GV Mavalankar Shooting Championship. Six months later, this April 2022, he topped the qualification round of the 10m Air Rifle National Trials with a score of 630.3. Savitribai Phule Pune university Representing Gajanan aims to make it to the Indian team and win a medal for the country at the Olympics.
Gajanan said, ‘My target is to go to the Olympics. It hasn’t been easy going ahead with the shoot, but I know if I keep working hard, I will be able to make my dreams come true. when i Shooting When I started, I had no idea how expensive this game could be. In addition to expensive equipment, the cost of travel, diet and maintaining physical fitness were enormous. However, I have maintained it till now. I know I can achieve more in the game.