Rahi Sarnobat: Difference between revisions

| caption = Rahi Sarnobat

| height = {{convert|5.1|ft|abbr=on}} (2014)<ref name="CGF, 2014">{{cite web |title=RAHI SARNOBAT |url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/shooting/1017613/r_sarnobat.html |publisher=[[Commonwealth Games Federation]] (CGF] |accessdate=22 August 2018 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180822211420/http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/shooting/1017613/r_sarnobat.html |archivedate=22 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport| Women's [[shooting]]}}

{{MedalBronze| [[2011 ISSF World Cup|2011 USA]] | 25 meter pistol}}

{{MedalGold| [[2013 ISSF World Cup|2013 South Korea]] | 25 meter pistol}}

{{MedalGold| [[2019 ISSF World Cup|2019 Munich,Germany]] | 25 meter pistol}}

'''Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat''' ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]:राही सरनोबत) is a female athlete from [[India]] who competes in the [[25 metre pistol|25 meters pistol shooting]] event. She won her first gold medal at the [[2008 Commonwealth Youth Games]] in Pune, India.<ref>{{cite news|title=Golden Girl - Rahi Sarnobat |url=http://www.thesportscampus.com/20081026179/2008-pune-youth-games/golden-girl-rahi-sarnobat|publisher=TheSportsCampus.com|date=26 October 2008}}</ref> She is the first woman to win a gold medal in shooting in an Asian Games for India - she won the gold at the [[2018 Asian Games|2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games]] in the women's 25 meter pistol event.<ref name=":0">{{cite web | url=http://www.espn.in/shooting/story/_/id/24442212/rahi-sarnobat-becomes-first-indian-female-shooter-win-asian-games-gold | title=Rahi Sarnobat becomes first Indian female shooter to win Asian Games gold | publisher=ESPN | date=22 August 2018 | accessdate=22 August 2018}}</ref> She had won two gold medals in [[2010 Commonwealth Games]] in [[New Delhi]], the first of the two golds in coming in the 25m pistol pair event with [[Anisa Sayyed]]. She had previously won gold in the 25 m pistol event at the 2008 Youth Commonwealth Games which were held in India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Spotlights on Youth: Sarnobat's challenge is to make shooting more popular than cricket in India|url=https://www.issf-sports.org/news.ashx?newsid=1817|website=ISSF|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>

Rahi hails from [[Kolhapur]] in [[Maharashtra]]. Her inspiration is fellow [[Marathi people|Maharashtrian]] and 50m rifle pro World Champion [[Tejaswini Sawant]].<ref name=":0" />It was during her school days that she got introduced to firearms as part of NCC training. She demonstrated natural skills in using firearms from an early age.In the early days of playing the sport, Sarnobat had to navigate through inadequate infrastructure and facilities in her home town of Kolhapur. She then decided to train in Mumbai, which had better facilities for the sport.<ref>{{Cite news|title=राही सरनोबत: रिटायरमेंट के कगार से लौटकर ओलंपिक पदक की दावेदार बनने तक|language=hi|work=BBC News हिंदी|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/sport-55796467|access-date=2021-02-17}}</ref>

Sarnobat became India's first pistol shooter to win a gold medal in the World Cup when she won the 25m pistol event in the ISSF World Cup in Changwon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/115404/Sports/women-shooters-break-into-the-male-bastion.html|title=Women shooters break into the male bastion|date=7 October 2010|website=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/sarnobat-wins-gold-in-shooting-wc/article4585521.ece|title=Sarnobat wins gold in shooting WC|date=5 April 2013|newspaper=The Hindu | accessdate=8 October 2018}}</ref> In the [[2014 Commonwealth Games]] at [[Glasgow]], she won gold in the women's 25-metre pistol.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pistol shooter Rahi Sarnobat wins gold, Anisa Sayyed silver |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/07/pistol-shooter-rahi-sarnobat-wins-gold-anisa-sayyed-silver/|accessdate=26 July 2014|agency=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|date=26 July 2014}}</ref> In the same year, she won the bronze medal in the 25-metre pistol team event at the [[2014 Asian Games]] at [[Incheon]], where she teamed up with Anisa Sayyed and [[Heena Sidhu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.india.com/asian-games-2014/shooters-heena-sidhu-rahi-sarnobat-and-anisa-sayyed-win-4th-bronze-for-india-in-asian-games-2014-154631/|title=Shooters Heena Sidhu, Rahi Sarnobat and Anisa Sayyed win 4th bronze for India in Asian Games 2014|first=Rashmi|last=Mishra|date=22 September 2014|publisher=}}</ref> An injury caused by an accident in 2015 came as a setback for Sarnobat because it affected her elbow that took almost two years to fully heal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rahi SARNOBAT|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/athletes/detail/rahi-sarnobat/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref> She made it back to the Indian national team and started working with German coach Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, who helped Sarnobat gain physical fitness and mental strength.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rahi SARNOBAT|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/athletes/detail/rahi-sarnobat/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref>Ironically Dorjsuren was one of Sarnobat's competitors at the 2012 Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-21|title=This shooting star Rahi Sarnobat has an Olympic dream|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/interview-this-shooting-star-rahi-sarnobat-has-an-olympic-dream-2791291|access-date=2021-02-17|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref>

Bronze medal in 2011 World Cup event at [[Fort Benning]] led to her selection for the London Olympics in 2012, thereby becoming the first female Indian shooter to qualify for the 25 meters sports pistol event in the Olympics.<ref name=":0" />

In May 2015, Rahi was recommended for the country's prestigious, [[Arjuna Award]] by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).<ref>{{cite news|title=Jitu Rai, Rahi recommended for Arjuna Awards by NRAI |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/Jitu-Rai-recommended-for-Arjuna-Awards-by-NRAI/articleshow/47200850.cms}}</ref>

On 22 August 2018, she became the first Indian woman to become an individual Asian games gold medallist in shooting by winning the 25 meter pistol event with a Games record score of 34. She won the shoot off against her Thai opponent to bag the gold.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/sports/asian-games/asian-games-2018-day-4-rahi-sarnobat-wins-25-m-pistol|title=Rahi Sarnobat Wins Gold in 25 m Pistol Event, Manu Bows Out|first=Rashmi|last=Mishra|date=22 August 2018|publisher=The Quint}}</ref>

Rahi won the gold medal at the Munich World Cup event in 2019<ref>{{Cite web|title=ISSF - International Shooting Sport Federation - issf-sports.org|url=https://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/athlete.ashx?personissfid=SHINDW3010199001|website=www.issf-sports.org|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> and was selected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shooter Rahi Sarnobat has set her target on more Olympics after Tokyo 2021|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/sarnobat-has-set-her-target-on-more-olympics-after-tokyo-2021/story-ewH775uEk2XpFP9repMQPM.html|date=2020-04-24|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref>