NEWS
Barriers are simply in our minds. If your willpower is strong, nothing can stop you. All you need is passion. Passion to chase your dreams. Passion to face any challenge that comes up. And, passion to cross all obstacles and reach the pinnacle of success. A simple boy, born to a street food vendor, overcame all obstacles. He didn’t let his humble beginnings restrain him. In fact, he made it his strength. Today, he continues to strive, with his feet firmly on the ground. Considering every tournament his first and working hard consistently. His life has had its share of ups and downs but Sanjeev Rajput has risen like a phoenix every time. Enough of the introduction, let’s explore the complete life story of shooter Sanjeev Rajput.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sanjeev Rajut |
| Age | 38 |
| Sport Category | Shooting |
| Date of Birth | 5 January 1981 |
| Hometown | Yamunanagar, Haryana, India |
| Height | 179 cm |
| Weight | 76 kg |
| Parent | Krishan Lal (father) |
| Alma Mater | SD Public School Jagadhri, Haryana |
Rajput with his family members
Rajput comes from a humble family in Yamunanagar, Haryana. His father worked as a street food vendor. He did his schooling from SD Public School in Jagadhri. After his basic education, Rajput joined the Indian Navy as a sailor. In fact, he is still employed with the Navy but now he is the Master Chief Petty Officer II.
Rajput flaunting his Gold Coast CWG medal
His shooting career began in the year 2001. Rajput first tasted success in shooting in the year 2004. At the 2004 SAF Games in Islamabad he won not one, nor two, but three gold medals! He also won a silver medal.
The very next year, he won the gold at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Melbourne in 50m rifle 3 positions pairs event. In 2006, Rajput won his first CWG medal- bronze. Another bronze followed at the Asian Games in the same year.
Rajput’s achievements were acknowledged with an Arjuna Award in 2010. He also won Services Best Sports Person award for the year 2009-10.
In 2010, in the 50m rifle 3 position event at Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Delhi, he won the gold medal. He also added the prestigious ISSF gold medal at the World Cup in Changwon. He qualified for the London Olympics with this achievement.
At the 2014 and 2018 editions of the Commonwealth Games, Rajput improved his performance consistently to win a silver and gold medal respectively.
Oleg Mikhailov, India’s foreign coach, has played an instrumental role in fine-tuning Rajput’s technical aspects. The year 2018 has been particularly rewarding for the pair. With the Olympics around the corner, Mikhailov’s inputs will be all the more important for Rajput.
Rajput was caught up in a legal battle when a fellow national-level shooter accused him of rape. She alleged that Rajput promised to marry her and raped her. Rajput was released on bail and submitted proof in the court. “No matter how strong one is, such incidents are bound to leave one shaken. I was also shaken but I know I am right,” he said in an interview with DNA India, “I have full trust in the judiciary and truth will prevail. I am clear in my heart, my conscience is clear.”
With new faces grabbing headlines at every tournament, seniors like Sanjeev Rajput are getting less media attention. However, that does not affect him, steadily he continues to work hard and win laurels for the country. In the business since 2001, Rajput still continues working equally hard for every tournament. This spirit and humility has helped him gain continued success. His simplicity is visible through his words as well. In an interview with the New Indian Express, he said,
“I started shooting when I was 24 and now there are youngsters these days who are winning internationals medals at 16. So, I would like to call them seniors. Experience does help for sure but I believe every match is a new match. You start from zero.”
Arjuna Award, 2010
| Year | Place | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Baku, Azerbaijan | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Silver |
| 2011 | Changwon, China | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Gold |
| 2010 | Sydney, Australia | 10 m air rifle | Silver |
| Year | Place | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Gold Coast, Australia | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Gold |
| 2014 | Glasgow, Scotland | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Silver |
| 2006 | Melbourne, Australia | 50 m rifle prone singles | Bronze |
| Year | Place | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Jakarta Palembang, Indonesia | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Silver |
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 10 m air rifle team | Silver |
| 2006 | Doha, Qatar | 50 m rifle 3 positions team | Bronze |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | 10 m air rifle team | Bronze |
| Year | Place | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Melbourne, Australia | 50 m rifle 3 positions pairs | Gold |
| 2010 | Delhi, India | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Gold |
| 2010 | Delhi, India | 50 m rifle 3 positions pairs | Gold |
| 2010 | Delhi, India | 50 m rifle 3 positions badge | Gold |
| 2010 | Delhi, India | 10 m air rifle | Silver |
| 2017 | Brisbane, Australia | 50 m rifle 3 positions | Silver |
Sanjeev Rajput’s estimated net worth is $100K- $1 Million.
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