New Delhi: When Rahi Sarnobat boards the flight to Japan later this month for her third Asian Games, she will have marked a significant personal milestone. Having almost quit the sport four years ago due to neuropathic pain syndrome, Rahi, over 18 excruciating months, found the wherewithal to push her mind and body enough to make it to the Indian team alongside young stars Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh.
Rahi missed the cut for the Hangzhou Asian Games where Esha announced herself as one of India’s leading 25m pistol shooters. “To suddenly lose your skills one day, struggle to get through your days, unlearn, relearn, and somehow be good enough to compete for India… it’s a rebirth of sorts. The squad has become younger, the scores have gone higher, and the medal count in elite competitions has become more consistent. “I still feel I am relevant. Her return necessitated technical and equipment resets.
A gold medallist in the 2018 edition, Rahi remains the only Indian to win an individual 25m pistol gold at the Asiad. Rahi began taking baby steps into shooting in 2023 and only now is she completely off medication. She shed 20 kgs, tweaked her pistol settings, and adopted a more side-on position at the firing station to account for the persistent strain on her neck. Sporadic competitive appearances followed in 2024 without success and Rahi lost her place in the Indian team.
“It still feels like a dream,” Rahi said. That said, shooting is not the centre of my life anymore,” she said.
The Indian shooting landscape, particularly in pistol disciplines, has undergone a sea change since then.
I think it was the first time in 15-17 years that I wasn’t good enough to make the Indian team. A gold in the 2025 National Games in Uttarakhand was a reminder that the skills hadn’t totally deserted her. She made it back to the national squad and competed in Cairo World Championships, Ningbo and Munich editions of World Cup, Asian Championships in Shymkent — all in 2025.
“That was a rude shock. But I had no option but to stay humble and bide my time.
