India's Greatest Champions: Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore - First shooter to win Olympic medal

For 44 long years, since 1952, India awaited an individual Olympic medal. Leander Paes ended that drought in 1996, and Karnam Malleswari followed suit with her weightlifting bronze in 2000. However, the highest accolade for an Indian athlete in individual disciplines remained bronze, until Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's remarkable feat in 2004.

In Athens, armed with his double-barrel shotgun, Rathore, already a Commonwealth Games gold medalist in 2002, faced a daunting challenge. He barely made it through the qualifying round by a single point. In the finals, UAE's Ahmed Al Maktoum had raced clear to claim the top spot; setting up a tense clash with Wang Zheng and Hu Binyuan for a medal. And with his last attempt, Rathore pipped the Chinese duo by a single point to achieve what every Indian had only dreamed of India’s first Olympic medalist in shooting and its first individual silver medalist.

This monumental achievement paved the way for future athletes like Abhinav Bindra, who would win India’s first individual gold in Beijing 2008. Rathore, an Army man at heart, elevated Indian shooting and sparked a newfound belief in Indian sports, leading to many more medals across various disciplines.

After retiring from competitive shooting, Rathore transitioned to politics, becoming a Member of Parliament in 2014 and serving as the Sports Minister from 2017 to 2019. He launched the Khelo India Youth Games, offering aspiring athletes a platform to showcase their talent.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's legacy is a testament to his pioneering spirit and determination, breaking barriers both as a sportsman and a statesman. And his journey will forever be cherished.