Pawan Singh becomes first Indian ISSF jury member to get selected for Olympics

Starting his career as an official in international meets during the ISSF World Cup in Delhi in 2017, Pawan Singh will become the first Indian to officiate a shooting event at the Olympics next year. After his works were noticed by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), he was appointed as a jury member in some of the prestigious events of the federation. The 40-year-old official will be a part of the Result, Timing and Score (RTS) jury member team at the 2020 Games in Japan.

"I started as a shooter in 1995 and won medals at state and national championships. Like everyone else, I always dreamt of representing India at the Olympics. But in 2005, I had to stop practice due to financial constraint at home," Pawan told TOI.

“This is a dream come true for me. I feel good that the work I have done in the past years has paid off. But all this wouldn't have been possible without NRAI president Mr Raninder Singh's support and guidance.”

Pawan, who is also the joint secretary of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), earlier had failed to make it to the Olympics both as an athlete and as a coach. He had taken up coaching in 2005 and was appointed the assistant coach of the Indian team in 2007. However, retiring just before the London Olympics in 2012 barred him from travelling to the Olympics as a coach.

"I shifted to coaching in early 2005 and by 2007 I became assistant coach of the Indian team. I again started dreaming of making it to the Games.

"But I retired as coach before the 2012 Games as at that time, I had this strong urge to take the sport to the grassroots. I then sifted to officiating and became jury and completed ISSF courses. This was my third innings. I am glad that finally I have got a chance to officially join the worlds' best at the biggest sporting event," Pawan concluded.