The 28-year-old Sandeep Singh will play an important role for India during the Paris 2024 Olympics, as he will participate in the 10m air rifle men's (single) and 10m air rifle mixed team (along with Elavenil Valarivan) for the country in the forthcoming Summer Olympics.
Sandeep Singh’s latest ISSF World Ranking (10m air rifle men): 16
Article Contents:
Birth
From cross-country athlete to shooter
Ups and downs period in his shooting career
Recent performances
How did Sandeep Singh qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics
Birth of Sandeep Singh
Sandeep Singh was born on 20th January 1996 in Faridkot, Punjab. He grew Behbal Khurd village, near Punjab’s Faridkot. He is the son of a labourer, Baljinder Singh.
Teenage Sandeep Singh was a cross-country athlete
Sandeep wasn’t familiar with sports shooting at an early age. He didn’t even know about this sport. To join the army, he became a cross-country athlete as he believed that it would help him in the army recruitment test. He came in first in the state cross-country championships.
In 2014, Sandeep joined the army, the Sikh Light Infantry, as a sepoy. Although his journey as a cross-country athlete didn’t last long, he was trained to become a rifle shooter in the army. He quickly earned success in state and national competitions.
Sandeep Singh's ups and downs periods in shooting career
In 2019, Sandeep completed a hat-trick of gold medals at the InterShoot International Shooting Championship in the Netherlands.
Sandeep was included in the Olympic reserve team ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, his shooting sports career suddenly took a downturn after a ban for failing a dope test. He was tested positive for beta blocker. Shocked Sandeep denied any wrongdoing. He claimed that the suspension was lifted after an investigation.
Sandeep Singh's recent performances
Sandeep has worked hard to remove the bad stories of the past and create a new history for his nation. Since 2023, he has been shining with high scores.
In 2023, at the ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Sandeep was a part of the Indian team in the 10m air rifle mixed team, where India finished in fifth place.
This year, Sandeep also participated in the Asian Championships in Jakarta, where he finished in ninth place in the men’s 10-metre air rifle event.
How did Sandeep Singh qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Rudrankksh Patil (World Rifle & Pistol Championships 2022) and Arjun Babuta (Asian Championships 2023) secured two Indian Paris 2024 Olympics quotas for the men’s 10m rifle event.
In the four-stage Olympic Selection Trials, Sandeep fought against former world champion Rudrankksh Patil, Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar, and Olympic quota winner Arjun Babuta. However, ultimately, Sandeep surprised everyone by finishing on top with scores of 634.4, 632.6, 631.6, and 628.3 (selection based on the first three).
Sandeep Singh's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics
In the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sandeep Singh will participate in two events. He will represent India in the 10m air rifle men's (single) and 10m air rifle mixed team (along with Elavenil Valarivan) events.
