Károly Takács (1910-1976) was a Hungarian Olympian. He was the first shooter to win two Olympic gold medals with his left hand in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol event when his right hand was seriously injured. In August 2023, Indian filmmaker R Balki released a film called “Ghoomer”, which was inspired by the life story of Károly Takács.
Wiki/Biography
Károly Takács was born on Friday, January 21, 1910 in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (age 65 at the time of death). His zodiac sign is Aquarius.
family
Not much information is available about his family.
Profession
military service
He began his military career as a sergeant in the Hungarian army. By 1936, he had become the preeminent pistol shooter on the global stage. However, because his military rank was sergeant, he was not allowed to participate in the Hungarian shooting team for the 1936 Summer Olympics. Only officers are allowed to compete. After the Berlin Olympics, this rule changed in Hungary. In 1938, he was seriously injured in his right hand when a defective grenade exploded in his hand during military training; however, he focused on pursuing his shooting career and decided to switch to shooting left-handed. He practiced in secret and in early 1939 won the Hungarian National Pistol Shooting Championship, astonishing his compatriots. Later, he became part of the Hungarian team that won the 1939 UIT World Shooting Championship in the same shooting category. The last position he held while serving in the Army was that of Lieutenant Colonel.
shooting
In 1948, at age 38, he won the gold medal at the London Summer Olympics, beating then-world shooting champion Carlos Henrique Diaz Sánz Valiente. In 1952, he won his second gold medal in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol event at the Helsinki Summer Olympics. In 1956, he participated in the Melbourne Summer Olympics and finished eighth. He also won 35 Hungarian National Shooting Championships.
Karoli Takács (centre) after winning the shooting competition
the medal
- Gold Medal: London 1948 25m Rapid Fire Pistol
- Gold Medal: 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, Helsinki 1952
- Bronze Medal: 1958 ISSF World Shooting Championships 25m medium-fire pistol
Honor
In 1948, Dominica issued a commemorative stamp in his honor.
Karoli Tacac on commemorative stamps
heritage
His accomplishments saw him listed as an “Olympic Hero” by the International Olympic Committee.
die
He died in Budapest on January 5, 1976, at the age of 65. He was buried in the New Public Cemetery in Budapest.
Facts / Trivia
- Károly Takács is believed to be the third athlete with a known physical disability to compete in the Olympics.
- His favorite striker is Carlos Henrique Díaz Sáenz Valiente, an Argentinian striker.
- After his shooting career ended, he became a shooting instructor. He coached Hungarian shooter Szilárd Kun, who later won a silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
- In May 2023, author Sid Boyka published a book titled “Unbreakable Spirit and Successful Life Stories”. Karoly Tekacs,” in which he writes about Karoly’s inspiring life story.
Cover of the book “Indestructible Spirits and Successful Life Stories”. Sid Boyka by Karoly Tekacs
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education