GAGAN NARANG
Bronze: Shooting, men’s 10m air rifle; London 2012.
Published : Jul 28, 2016 19:41 IST
Gagan Narang was two years old when he shot down a balloon with a toy pistol in his backyard in Hyderabad. Some 27 years later, he shot the bronze medal in the men’s 10m air rifle competition in London.
The bronze proved to be an auspicious beginning for India, as the country went on to register its best ever performance in the Olympics, wining six medals.
Narang was determined to get on the podium in London. So much so, he did not even speak to the media as he prepared for his event; if he did, his coach Stanislas Lapidus was going to charge $50 per word.
The grim determination of Narang and his coach paid off, as the shooter took the bronze in a keenly contested final. That made up for his disappointment in Beijing four years ago.