Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Five most iconic moments of his career

The 51-year-old is one of the few players to win an individual medal at the Olympics.

India has a brilliant line of talented athletes in the sport of shooting. There has been an increase in the amount of focus and investment put into the sport. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore brought attention to it before the sport attained nationwide recognition.

The athlete has served the country on many fronts. He is currently a Member of Parliament in the Government of India. Moreover, he is a retired army officer and most notably a decorated sportsperson.

He has earned several accolades during his career in sports. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has won many medals on the international stage in shooting, ranging from Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and also the Olympics. Therefore, looking back at his career in sports, here are the five of the most iconic moments: 

5. Three gold medals at Commonwealth Games

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has a strong record in several editions of the Commonwealth Games. He has won three gold medals across different installments of the multi-sport meet. The 51-year-old secured two gold medals during the 2002 Manchester Games in the double trap individuals and double trap pairs events.

He won the third gold medal during the 2006 Melbourne Games in the double trap individuals. However, he missed out on a second gold and settled for a silver in the double trap pairs in Melbourne, Australia.

4. Silver in the Asian Games

India has recently been a strong contender in shooting when it comes to the Asian Games. The competition, however, used to be tougher for the country before the onset of investment and development of young athletes. Rathore won two medals during the 2006 Doha Games.

The athlete won a silver medal in the double trap teams event. He followed the silver with a bronze in the double trap individual event. Thanks to his contribution, India managed to win 53 overall medals, ranking eighth amongst all participating nations. 

3. National Awards

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has also received several national awards from the Government of India. These awards serve as a recognition for exalted service to the nation in the field of sports. He received the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2003 for his impressive performances in the shooting arena.

In 2004, the Indian athlete won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna - the highest sporting honour in India. Later in 2005, he won the Padma Shri award, which is the fourth highest civilian award in India. 

2. Gold in ISSF World Shooting Championship

The Indian shooter was a force to reckon with at the World Shooting Championships organised by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). He won four overall medals across different World Championships. His first medal was a bronze in the World Championship held in New Delhi in 2003.

Next was a silver medal in Sydney 2004 and a bronze medal in 2006 Granada. However, he finally won the gold medal during the 2006 ISSF World Championship held in Cairo, Egypt. All the medals were won in the double trap individual event.

1. Silver in the Olympics

The biggest achievement from Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s sporting career is the individual Olympic medal. He became only the fourth person in history to win an individual medal at the Summer Olympics for India. The Indian athlete secured the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Games in the double trap event.

As a result, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore elevated himself as one of India’s great sportsmen and was chosen as the flag-bearer during the 2008 Beijing Games. This achievement brought a lot of fanfare and recognition to the sport of shooting. Moreover, he became the first person to win an Olympic medal for India in shooting.

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