Rewari: At 15, Kamaljeet was training to be a sprinter when a severe injury crushed his track-and-field ambitions. Seven years later, he is an Asian Games champion—with an air pistol in hand instead of running shoes.On Thursday, the 22-year-old from Haryana’s Rewari teamed up with Suruchi Inder Singh to win gold for India in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The pair scored 484.6 points, defeating South Korea (478.0) and Iran (415.8).It is a dramatic turn for a journey that nearly ended before it began.Kamaljeet’s father, Ratiram, said the injury had shattered his son’s plans, but he refused to give up. Kamaljeet took up shooting in 2019, initially competing in the 50m pistol event before shifting to the 10m air pistol. The shift placed a heavy financial burden on his family, sustaining themselves from a five-acre farm managed by his father and uncle.“We have seen very difficult days. There was a time when he contemplated quitting because of the costs. We had to dip into our savings to keep him going,” said his uncle, Dinesh.The gamble paid off. After claiming gold at the 2023 ISSF Junior World Championship and joining the national senior setup, Kamaljeet delivered his biggest victory to date in Japan.His mother, Rajbala, is now preparing traditional choorma and gond laddoos for his return home. “He has made us all proud. Now, my prayer is for an Olympic gold,” she said.Kamaljeet trains for around six to seven hours a day, while also continuing his education. He is currently in the final year of his BA course.
