Sanjeev Rajput is an Indian air rifle shooter and a retired junior officer of the Indian Navy. In 2010, he received the Arjuna Award from the Government of India for his outstanding performance in shooting.
Wiki/Biography
Sanjeev Rajput OLY was born on Monday, January 5, 1981 in Yamuna Nagar, Haryana (40 years; as of 2021). His zodiac sign is Capricorn. From 1985 to 1999, he studied at SD Public School, Jagadri, Haryana. From 2014 to 2017, he studied at Calorx Normal University (also known as Sabarmati University) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, pursuing a BA in Humanities/Human Studies. From 2018 to 2020, he obtained his Master’s degree in Physical Education and Coaching from Indira Gandhi University of Technology and Medical Sciences, Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh.
appearance
Height: 5′10″
Weight: 78kg
Body Measurements (Approximately): Chest 40″, Waist 32″, Biceps 12″
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family
Parents and siblings
His father, Krishan Lal, is a street food vendor. He has an older brother.
Sanjeev Rajput with his parents (far right), his brother, his sister-in-law and his brother’s children
Sanjeev Rajput and his mother
wife
According to the official ISSF website, he is unmarried.
Profession
In 1999, he joined the Indian Navy as a sailor. He started practicing shooting while serving in the Indian Navy. In an interview, he talked about his first days of practice. He said,
There was no shooting range on board, so we used long sticks and hooks to secure a target on the quarterdeck and take aim. The ship tilted, the target swayed, and we stood on the unstable deck, taking aim with our heavy assault rifles. That experience sparked my interest in photography. I like that feeling. “
Sanjeev Rajput while serving in the Indian Navy
Later, he practiced shooting with various weapons such as pistols, carbines, and large-caliber rifles. Thereafter, he participated in various inter-ship competitions and was selected for the Indian Navy’s shooting team in 2002. He has participated in various shooting competitions at national and international levels. These include 10m and 50m air rifle competitions, ISSF World Cup and Olympic Games. He said in an interview about participating in the Olympics,
In both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, I narrowly missed the three-person final. When I qualified for Rio for the third time, I was eliminated. But if you look at (Abhinav) Bindra and Gagannarang, they both won medals in their third Olympics. When a person goes there for the first time, it (the Olympics) is a new world for him. There was still some preparation left for the second time, but the shooter was more than ready for the third time. I didn’t get a third chance. After being eliminated from the Rio Olympics, I thought I should quit the sport. “
Sanjeev Rajput at the 2004 Singapore Armed Forces Games
While serving in the Indian Navy, he was trained by Felix Thomas. Thomas said of Sanjeev in an interview,
Despite having no experience, he has the perfect makings to be a great shooter. His technical talent was exceptional and within a short time he was winning medals on the domestic circuit. “
He retired as a junior officer in the Indian Navy in 2014 after serving for nearly 14 years. In 2007, he set a national record of 1170/1200 points at the ISSF World Cup held in Fort Benning, Georgia, USA. Later, in 2011, he broke this record by scoring 1,181 points at the World Cup in Changwon, North Korea.
In 2014, he was offered the post of Police Inspector in Haryana Police. In February 2015, he was appointed as coach by the Sports Authority of India, New Delhi. In an interview, he said about this incident,
The best thing that happens when I coach is that as I teach my technique, I can rewind and improve my technique further. This was a blessing in disguise because my basic knowledge became very solid. In 2016, I won a World Cup silver medal in Baku and then qualified for the World Cup finals twice in 2017. Then a record three-man win at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. “
Sanjeev Rajput in shooting competition
In 2021, he will represent India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The event was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sanjeev Rajput at Tokyo 2020
Subsequently, Sanjiv received training from many coaches such as Oleg (Ukrainian) and Randhir Singh (national team coach). Sanjiv shoots with the right hand and his dominant eye. Participated in AR60, FR3X40, FR60PR, R3X40MIX and other shooting events.
prize
medal
gold
Commonwealth Championship
- 2010: Delhi 50m Rifle 3rd Gear Competition
- 2010: Delhi 50m Rifle 3rd Gear Dual Competition
- 2010: Delhi 50m Rifle 3 Position Badge Campaign
ISSF World Cup
- 2011: Participated in Changwon 50m rifle 3rd place competition
- 2021: ISSF World Cup 50m Rifle 3rd place event in New Delhi
Commonwealth Games
- 2018: Gold Coast 50m Rifle 3 Gear Competition
Sanjeev Rajput wears gold medal at Commonwealth Games 2018
silver
ISSF World Cup
- 2010: Sydney 10m Air Rifle Competition
- 2016: Baku 50m rifle 3rd gear competition
- 2019: Rio de Janeiro 50m Rifle 3rd Division
- 2021: New Delhi 50m Rifle 3rd Division Competition
Commonwealth Games
- 2014: Glasgow 50m Rifle 3rd Gear Competition
Asian Games
- 2010: Guangzhou 10m Air Rifle Team Competition
- 2018: Palembang, Jakarta 50m rifle 3rd gear competition
Commonwealth Championship
- 2010: New Delhi Commonwealth Championships 10m Air Rifle Event
- 2017: Brisbane 50m Rifle 3rd Division
bronze
Commonwealth Games
- 2006: Melbourne 50m prone rifle (solo) competition
Asian Games
- 2006: Doha 50m rifle 3-position team competition
- 2014: Incheon 10m Air Rifle Team Competition
dispute
In 2016, one of his female associates accused him of physically assaulting her. She lodged a complaint against him with the Singijwadi police station in Pune, Maharashtra. The FIR was filed against him under Sections 376 and 328 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In the FIR, the alleged victim said that the two were in a relationship for two years and earlier, Sanjeev had promised to marry her. She further said,
Recently, the coach visited my residence in Chanakyapuri on my birthday and allegedly offered a drink laced with sedatives. “
Later, Sanjeev denied all such accusations. The same year, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) suspended him from coaching. In an interview, he said about this incident,
Disappointment came at a critical stage in my life. Can I either say, why is this happening to me? Or I could say, ‘Okay, let’s make the most of what’s left. That’s why I focus on the new barrel; to be ready on time to start the new chapter of my life. Yes, I am unemployed. I doubt anyone would give me a job now. But no one can stop me from retiring and opening a private ranch somewhere in the country. They also can’t stop me from qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics and maybe even winning an Olympic medal. I want to forget that unpleasant past. I don’t want these negative thoughts to mess with my head. So as I prepared for the Olympics this time, I made a conscious decision to forget about it. “
Facts/Trivia
- When he was in school, he used to be a naughty child, and his friends’ parents and neighbors often complained about him fighting with the children.
- In an interview, talking about his journey as a shooter, he said:
I belong to a very poor family, so the sooner I find a job the better; that is my biggest concern,” he said. I have only completed 10+2 and am ready to enroll and pursue a bachelor’s degree on graduation, but have a fixed source of income It’s more important to me. I’m under a lot of stress because I also have to take care of my elderly parents. Thankfully, I have a pension from my previous employer (Navy) as well as through TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Plan) The money helped me train. I had no experience in any other profession. I couldn’t be a banker or a school teacher. Because I’m an athlete, I work on becoming a better shooter every day.”
- Sanjeev enjoys reading and doing adventurous activities in his free time.
When Sanjeev Rajput was studying
- He regularly practices yoga to stay healthy and calm.
- He is an avid animal lover and has a pet dog named Tokyo.
Sanjeev Rajput and his pet dog
- Rajput loved pizza. He likes to try different cuisines.
- He followed the teachings of Indian spiritual master Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
- In 2010, he was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award by the then President of India Pratibha Patil.
Sanjeev Rajput wins Arjuna Award
- In 2018, Amul India congratulated him on his Asian Games victory through its Facebook account.
Amul India’s Facebook post congratulating Sanjeev Rajput
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education