Rajyavardhan Rathore replaces Vijay Goel as India’s sports minister

09/03/2017

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who had secured the silver medal in the men’s double trap event at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, has been appointed as the new sports minister of India. He will replace Vijay Goel who has been appointed the minister of state for parliamentary affairs.

This news came on Sunday after a major cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rathore was till now giving his services as a minister of state for information and broadcasting.

The 47-year-old, first time made his presence in a shooting range in the mid of 1990s and his concentration and routine life helped him become India’s first ever individual silver medal winner at the Games. Before making the entire country proud at the Olympics, the Indian shooter had also won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships in Sydney.

Rathore born in an army family and cleared the National Defence Academy examination and got the chance to served in the Indian Army.

He took early retirement from the army and joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in 2013. Once Narendra Modi came to power in May 2014, they showed their trust on Rathore and appointed him as the minister of state for information and broadcasting.

Olympic first gold medalist Abhinav Bindra took Twitter to congratulate the new minister.