An auto accident nearly derailed Kamaljeet’s career, today he is an Asiad gold medallist

Back home his father Ratiram recalled the difficult period post the auto accident.

“His thigh was injured badly and he was in pain. We spent Rs 4 lakh and took loans from relatives and friends for his treatment. He was fortunate because two people died in the accident. I thank god for saving Kamaljeet and for giving him the medal in the Asian Games,” Ratiram told The Indian Express.

Kamaljeet too talks about the sacrifices made by his family. “If my family would not have supported me, I would not have reached here. My father and uncle would take loans and when I met with the accident, they took another loan for my treatment. They would always tell me not to worry and only focus on shooting. And it’s due to their support. Or I would have left shooting at that time. The phrase after the injury was also tough but then I would think about my idol Saurabh Chaudhary and that I wanted to shoot like him and win medals for India,” Kamaljeet told The Indian Express from Japan.

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Indian army aspirations

Before becoming a shooter, Kamaljeet was an athlete. His aim was to pass the physical test and join the Indian army. But because of an injury, he had to quit running. But track and field’s loss proved to be shooting’s gain. He became a havildar in the army via a sports quota thanks to his shooting.

GOLD, WITH A RECORD TO MATCH! 🥇

Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet seal the gold for India with a new Asian Record of 484.6! 🤩

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In 2019 Kamaljeet’s interest in shooting began when his uncle Dinesh Sohlot took the then 15-year-old to an academy run by his friend Shaktipal. The coach took care of all the expenses, which was a big relief for the family. His uncle also took a loan to fund his shooting.

“We stay in a joint family and own about two acres of land. Like other kids, Kamaljeet too dreamt of landing a job with the Indian Army to support the family. My friend and coach Shaktipal was impressed with his endurance and suggested that he should try shooting. Our first thought was that we cannot even afford basic things at home and how can he get into an expensive sport. But then Shaktipal and other friends and relatives would help us,” Sohlot said.

It was not till 2023 that the youngster broke into the Indian junior team. He won the team gold in 50m pistol event in ISSF World Cup in Changwon, where he finished seventh in individual final. It was followed by an 11th place finish in 50m pistol event in Junior World Championships at Baku, Azerbaijan the same year. The youngster would compete in the nationals the following year winning medals in different categories. Shaktipal says Kamaljeet’s will power is his biggest strength.

“When he came to train, I knew that his family could not afford a pistol at that time. His body posture was good for pistol shooting and we initially made him practice dry shooting. He had a lot of patience and we worked on his trigger movement as well the shot management as well sighting. His natural elbow position was good for a pistol shooter and initially we would make him shoot 50-60 shots. He would never complain. He is mentally very strong,” coach Shaktipal said.

The youngster used a second hand pistol worth Rs 1.5 lakh before getting his own pistol last year. Uncle Dinesh remembers how the youngster would train with bricks and dumbbells after coming from the academy to improve his strength and steadiness of the arm. “He did not have his own pistol and trained with the pistol used by other trainees at the academy, when he used to come back home, he would lift his elbow holding a brick or dumbbell to mimic the pistol position,” Sohlot said.

He would win the silver in 50m pistol in the Asian Championships earlier this year before he made his way to the Asian Games. On Thursday, Kamaljeet had narrowly missed the final of the men’s 10m air pistol final. Coach Shaktipal too was following the qualification and knew that the heartbreak would not deter the youngsters. “He is a very calm person. He understands that such things happen in shooting and the only way to make a comeback is through believing in yourself as well as the training process.