Bizarre. Aberrant. Unheard of. These are just a few words you might use to describe shooter Sarabjot Singh’s answer.
But first, what was the question?
The Quint had asked Sarabjot – the 22-year-old 10m air pistol shooter from the Dheen village of Ambala, Haryana, who won a bronze medal at 10m Air Pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics – to describe his exultation after winning a gold and a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The response did not elicit ecstasy.
Rather, Sarabjot just said:
I might have won a gold medal at the Asian Games, but what you saw there was far from the best version of Sarabjot Singh.Sarabjot Singh
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From Not Being Able To Lift the Pistol, To Lifting Medals
As it turns out, Sarabjot Singh wasn’t at his physical peak in Hangzhou. He had sustained a shoulder injury following the Bhopal World Cup six months prior, and had to push through the pain barrier.
He recollects:
I injured my shoulder after the Bhopal World Cup in March 2023, where I won a gold medal. I returned a few months later at the Baku World Cup, and won a gold medal there as well, but I was not performing up to my potential. There was a lot of discomfort. I would say, the 2021 version of Sarabjot Singh returned only recently, at the Munich World Cup. For an entire year, I felt discomfort.Sarabjot Singh
And what led to the injury? Sarabjot is candid in admitting his mistakes:
It was the toughest phase of my career. For a while, I could not even lift the pistol. I thought I was done, I was clueless. I take the blame on myself for the mishap because I was so focused on shooting that I stopped exercising. I would shoot all day, with no other physical activity. What I did not realise back then, but know very well now, is that exercise is very important for shooters. You need to have strength in your muscles. I also ignored the warning signs. I was suffering from pain during the Bhopal and Baku World Cup, but I didn’t pay much heed as I was winning medals. But it gradually deteriorated, before I finally decided to take a break and took after my health. I had to give the camp in France and the World University Games a miss because of this.Sarabjot Singh
Not Fixated On Medals
To win four major medals whilst nursing an injury – to some extent – sounds like an outlandish feat.
But the 22-year-old is not fixated on medals. He never has been. An explanation follows:
Medals have never attracted me. Rather, my only focus in every competition is to give my 100%. As I mentioned, I won a gold medal at the Asian Games but even then I was not content, because I knew I did not show my best version. My goal never is to win a medal, but to give my 100%.Sarabjot Singh
How It All Started
Farmer Jatinder Singh and homemaker Hardeep Kaur had a difficult time comprehending how a pistol and ammunition could earn someone a stable income, let alone fame. Understandably, they cannot be held at fault for being sceptical of their son’s pursuits.
I started shooting in 2012. I was 12 years old. Our school had organised a summer camp, and shooting was a part of the roster. I wanted to try it out but my family was initially a bit sceptical, because of course, it is quite expensive. Fortunately, the chairman of my school convinced them and I started shooting.Sarabjot Singh
Initially a regular feature on his class’ football team, the transition from trivela to trigger came naturally. And soon, his talent earned him his family’s trust.
I have always been into sports, never wanted to study. Before shooting, I used to play football in school. I don’t know the exact season, but there was an instant affection towards shooting. I knew that I wanted to pursue this almost immediately after I started. My family were not convinced at first, but they later were. It did not take me long to win an inter-district medal. Once that happened, my family encouraged me to pursue this as a career because they had seen my talent.Sarabjot Singh
Four Months of Doom
Sarabjot joined Abhishek Rana’s shooting academy in 2016, and almost instantaneously, commenced on his medal-winning spree in the national circuit. Soon he went global, with three Junior World Cup medals in 2019.
But the disposition of disaster is to strike when one least expects it.
Everything was going fine. Abhishek Rana took me under his wing in 2016. I won a youth nationals medal a year later, and in 2019, I won three Junior World Cup medals. In 2021, Delhi was hosting the ISSF World Cup and I had high expectations. But unfortunately, I contracted COVID-19 and could not participate. Then I was desperate to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, but that did not happen either. After these setbacks, I decided it was time to change my goal and have my undivided focus on Paris.Sarabjot Singh
Buzzwords like “Undivided focus” and “changing goals” are fancy jargons. Pick any self-help book, and you will probably find those somewhere.
The bare truth was that for four entire months, Sarabjot did not have the strength to even consider making a comeback.
To be honest, I was a mess for the first four months. All of my dreams were crushed, and mentally, I did not have the courage to train again. But as those months passed, I realised that I could not keep lamenting forever. Something needs to change and only I could do it. That is when I decided I would focus on the Paris Olympics, and I will be more disciplined and committed than ever before.Sarabjot Singh
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The Key to Sustained Success
For all his accolades – including two World Championships gold medals, besides what has already been mentioned – Sarabjot believes the key to sustained success is rooted in humility.
He speaks from experience:
Success would get to my head initially. Medal aane ke baad hawa mein udne lagta tha (I used to be overconfident after winning medals). But I have since changed myself. Now, whenever I win a medal, I take a break and then resume shooting with the mindset that I am a complete beginner, so that there is no baggage of success.Sarabjot Singh
Olympics? No Pressure, Mate.
Nerves could get the better of any athlete. Indians have a history of it.
Sarabjot happens to be an anomaly, and he has proof.
I am someone who remains unfazed by pressure. It does not get to me. I have checked that when I am shooting, my heartbeat remains normal. There is no abnormal spike which is quite common.Sarabjot Singh
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