Asian Games | Teenage shooter Anish Bhanwala aims to bag maiden Asiad gold
Young shooter Anish Bhanwala has been included in India’s shooting team for the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia and is aiming to win his maiden gold in Indonesia. Anish has already won a number of titles, including gold and silver at the Commonwealth Games, and Championship respectively.
The 15-year-old school boy, was India’s youngest gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in April when he won the 25-meter rapid fire pistol shooting in a meet record but had to tone down the celebrations to study for exams.
Coming from a middle-class family which did not have any background in the sport, Anish took an interest in shooting after starting to train for the multi-discipline modern pentathlon. His father bought him a second-hand pistol after which the youngster’s career took off. He moved in 2014 from Haryana to settle in Delhi to get the best facilities for practice.
While Anish and Manu Bhaker made the squad in pistols event, there were controversial selections with former World No. 1 Heena Sindhu not participating in some events, and 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Gagan Narang missing out on the squad entirely.
