India's Best Shooters at The Beijing Olympics 2008

Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Men's- Clay Pigeon Trap)

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award winner Manavjit Singh Sandhu is India's best medal bet at the Beijing Olympics in the men’s clay pigeon trap event. Sandhu was only the second Indian to win a World championship gold in August 2006.

Sandhu had an amazing 2006 as he won a bronze at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and followed it with two silvers at the Doha Asian games in December.

In his illustrious career, Sandhu also won the gold at 1998 Commonwealth Games and four silver medals at Asian Games during the period (1998, 2002, 2006).

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Men's-Clay Pigeon Double Trap)

Olympic silver medallist Lt. Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is all geared up to strike at gold this time at the Beijing Olympics. Rathore sealed the Beijing berth by winning a gold medal in the men's double trap event at the 2006 ISSF World Cup at Cairo.

Earlier, Rathore claimed gold in the individual and team events in Men's double trap at the Bangkok Asian Clay Shooting championships in 2005. He was also the member of the winning team that won a double trap team gold in 2005 Commonwealth Shooting Championships.

Mansher Singh (Men's- Clay Pigeon Trap)

ndia's Mansher Singh qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fifth in the men's trap shooting event in the World Cup at Lonato, Italy.

Mansher was the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games gold in 1994. Beijing Olympics will also witness the Mansher-Manavjit face-off in the trap shooting individual category.

Mansher is in right fram of mind for the Beijing Games after winning gold in the Asian championship at Kuala Lumpur, the Asian clay shooting competition in Bangkok and the Masters Cup in the Czech Republic.

Gagan Narang (Men's 10m Air Rifle)

India's ace rifle shooter Gagan Narang was the first Indian marksmen to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games after winning the 50m gold medal at the World Cup in China.

Narang also qualified for the men’s 50m Rifle Prone event at the ISSF World Cup in Milan, Italy.

Narang is oozing high in confidence after he recently clinched the gold and surpassed the air rifle men's world record at an Olympic test event held in Germany.

Narang shot a total of 704.3 which was 1.2 more than the existing world record of 703.1 set by Austrian Thomas Farnik in the 2006 World Cup finals at Grenada.

The 22-year-old also had four top finishes at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne that too with the record scores.

Abhinav Bindra (Men's 10m Air Rifle)

Rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra sealed the berth for the 2008 Olympic Games by winning a gold medal in the 10-metre air rifle event at the 2006 World Championship in Zagreb.

Bindra, the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, will leave no stone unturned this time as he couldn't be able to win the medal at Athens despite breaking the Olympic record.

Bindra won Gold in the pairs event and Silver in the individual event respectively at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Samresh Jung (Men's 10m Air Pistol)

Samresh Jung earned Beijing Olympics quota place at the 2007 ISSF World Cup at Munich after finishing fourth in men’s 10 metre air pistol final.

Jung became the first Indian to earn an Olympic quota in pistol events after Abha Dhillan (1992) and Jaspal Rana (1996) got a 'Wild Card Entry' for Olympics.

Jung was bestowed with the David Dixon Award to recognize the "Best Athlete of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games." He won five gold medals at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Sanjeev Rajput (Men's 50m Rifle 3 Position)

Promising rifle shooter Sanjeev Rajput was lucky enough to make it to the Beijing Olympics despite finishing 11th in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position event at the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning (USA).

Rajput got the quota place, as luck was surely riding on his side, because all the top 10 finishers had earlier qualified for the Beijing Games.

Rajput had won the bronze medal in the Men's 50m Rifle Prone at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Rajput will give his best shot in his maiden Olympics participation.

Anjali Bhagwat (Women's 50m Rifle 3 Position)

India's ace women shooter Anjali Bhagwat will be representing her third Olympics at Beijing. Anjali Bhagwat got the Olympic quota place in women’s 50 m rifle three position event at the ISSF World Cup at Resende in Brazil.

Despite finishing fourth in the event, Anjali was awarded the berth since the top three podium finishers had already made it to the Olympics.

Bhagwat soared to shooting heights after she won four coveted gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester.

Avneet Kaur Sidhu (Women's 10m Air Rifle)

Avneet Kaur Sidhu sealed her Beijing berth after finishing eighth in the 10m Air Rifle Women event of the 2006 ISSF Shooting Championships at Zagreb, Croatia.

Promising Avneet also won the gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle (Pairs) event with Tejaswini Sawant at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

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