He may be just 17 years of age but he is already winning many gold medals for India at the young age itself. Yes, age is just a number for Saurabh Chaudhary who brought glory to the nation by winning medals.
Hailing from Kalina in district Meerut of Uttar Pradesh, Saurabh Chaudhary is a professional Indian sport shooter by trait. Since childhood, life hasn’t been that easy for him. He comes from a family of farmers in Yamuna & Gangetic plains of western UP.
His father identified as Jagmohan Singh is a farmer. Saurabh found interest in shooting at the age of 13 and since then he practised daily, 15 km away from home as he travels in buses.
He balances his time very well in his daily routine. At home, he assists his family in farming. He first shot into fame when he won the Gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in 10 m Air Pistol and went on to become the youngest Indian gold medalist at the Asian Games.
Saurabh had previously won many Gold medals and in fact, set a new junior world record in the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.
Interestingly, he is the only Indian shooter to win a gold medal in ISSF World Championship, ISSF World Cup, Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games and Asian Air Gun Championship.
The 17-year-old shooter had later has bettered his own World Record with a stupendous score of 245.5 and then claimed Gold in Junior Men 10m Air Pistol at 2018 World Championship in Changwon, Korea.
He once again hogged the limelight after winning three successive golds in world cups in 2019. After having carved out a reputation for himself as the successful shooter, he is now the country’s biggest gold medal hope in 2020 Olympics.
He clinched the gold medal in Asian Games 2018. Post the Asian games, he took part in the Junior ISSF World Championship 2018 where he achieved a gold medal. He went to Argentina to take part in the Youth Olympic Games 2018 and also won a gold medal.
He then participated in Asian Airgun Championship 2018 and won 3 gold medals- 10m air pistol competition, the team competition and eventually the gold medal in the mixed team 10m pistol.
In February 2019, Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold medal at 2019 ISSF World Cup in the national capital.
In April 2019, he took part in Mixed Team 10m pistol with Manu Bhaker and then won the gold medal at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Beijing.
In May 2019, he participated in the 10m pistol and won gold and also broke the world record and the junior world record at 2019 ISSF World Cup in Munich. The Meerut teenager won his second World Cup gold media and that too in his second appearance in the elite championship when he absolutely topped the men’s 10m air pistol final.
Saurabh shot a new world record. Well, this is the second time Saurabh has set a world record in the senior category.
In his maiden World Cup in the national capital in February, Saurabh won gold and broke the seniors’ record by shooting 245 in the final. He bagged a Tokyo quota place in the process.
He scored 246.3 in the final. For now, Saurabh holds the senior and junior world records in 10m air pistol events. He also holds the junior and senior 10m air pistol mixed event world records.
Overall he has won 8 individual gold medals and 11 (mixed plus team) gold medals, 1 individual silver medal and 2 (team) silver medals. and 2 bronze medals (Team, Mixed)