India will begin its campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on September 19, with shooting once again expected to be among the country’s key medal-winning disciplines. But for the Indian shooter Kamaljeet, the Games represent the biggest opportunity yet in a career that began only after an injury forced him to reconsider his sporting ambitions.

The 23-year-old from Rewari, Haryana, will represent India in the men’s 50m pistol, the event in which he has built his reputation after taking up shooting in 2019.

His journey has already taken him from the domestic circuit to the international stage. Kamaljeet became a junior world champion in the 50m pistol at the 2023 ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon before making his mark at the senior level with a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Championships in New Delhi.

His progress, however, has come against a backdrop of financial challenges, the demands of transitioning from one sport to another and the pressure of proving himself in competition.

Who is Kamaljeet?

Born on August 22, 2003, in Rewari, Haryana, Kamaljeet is an Indian sport shooter who specialises in the 50m pistol.

His entry into shooting came after an injury brought his athletics journey to an end. Rather than stepping away from competitive sport, Kamaljeet turned to shooting in 2019 and began building himself from scratch in a discipline that would eventually become his speciality.

The transition was not straightforward. In the early years, his family had to shoulder much of the financial burden associated with training and competition.

“We are a middle-class family, but my parents never let me quit shooting. I had to manage my own expenses for course fees and international matches early on, and there were times I thought I wouldn’t continue in the 50m Pistol event,” Kamaljeet said.

He recalled that it took him two to three years to recover the money he had spent, but the support of his parents never wavered.

“It took me two to three years to earn that money back, but my family never asked questions—they gave me whatever I needed to keep going.”

Full list of medals won by Kamaljeet:

From athletics to shooting

Kamaljeet’s sporting career could have taken a very different direction. He initially pursued athletics, but an injury on the track brought that ambition to an abrupt end. His passion for sport, however, remained intact, eventually leading him to the shooting range in 2019.

The move required him to learn an entirely new discipline and develop the technical and mental skills necessary to compete with athletes who had spent years in the sport.

His early years were also marked by financial uncertainty. Competing in shooting involves expenses ranging from training and course fees to equipment and international travel, and Kamaljeet’s family had to find ways to keep his career moving forward.

That period became an important part of his development, not only as a shooter but also as an athlete who had to remain committed despite uncertainty over where the journey would lead.

The support system behind his rise

While his family provided the financial and emotional support needed to keep him in the sport, Kamaljeet credits his coach and uncle with providing the foundation for his development.

Unlike an athlete who moves between different coaches and systems during their formative years, Kamaljeet has had a particularly close relationship with the coach who introduced him to shooting.

“I have only one shooting coach who taught me everything from scratch. He is from my village, so our relationship feels like family. Between my coach and my uncle at home, I’ve had the strongest foundation throughout this journey.”

That support helped Kamaljeet remain committed through the difficult early phase of his shooting career.

The turning point came when his performances began earning him greater recognition and institutional support.

From financial struggles to national selection

Kamaljeet’s progression on the domestic circuit eventually brought support from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

For him, the change was significant. Financial concerns that had once consumed part of his attention were reduced, allowing him to concentrate more fully on training and competition.

“Earlier, I used to struggle a lot just to manage basic expenses, but having sponsorship and support from SAI took a huge weight off my shoulders.”

He also highlighted the role of NRAI’s selection system in giving him confidence that his place in the national squad was based on performance.

“My place in the national squad came strictly on merit, based on the ranking points I accumulated across the ranking events. When you know the system is entirely performance-driven and every point you earn counts, it gives you complete confidence to just step onto the lane and shoot your best without any second thoughts.”

The technical support provided by the federation has also helped him prepare for international competition.

“On top of that, NRAI provides us with top-quality equipment and ammunition, the exact same standard we use in international competitions. That takes away any worry about our gear on the global stage so we can stay fully focused on performance.”

Gold at Junior World championship

Kamaljeet’s emergence came with his performance at the 2023 ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon.

Competing in the junior men’s 50m pistol event, he won the individual gold medal with a score of 544.

The title provided the first major international indication that he could make the transition from a promising domestic shooter to an athlete capable of succeeding at the highest level.

His performances also included success in team competition, giving him valuable experience of international finals and the pressure associated with major championships.

The junior world title became an important foundation for the next phase of his career — competing against senior shooters.

Learning on the senior circuit

The move to senior competition brought a new set of challenges. Kamaljeet has had to adapt to competing against more experienced shooters while learning how to reproduce his practice performances under the pressure of international competition.

His recent World Cup appearances have been part of that learning curve. While the results did not always match his expectations, he sees the exposure as an important part of his preparation for the Asian Games.

“The World Cup was a valuable learning experience. While my performance wasn’t exactly what I wanted, it motivated me to refine my preparation.”

That experience has also helped change his belief in what he can produce when the pressure is highest.

“Earlier, I used to shoot good scores only in practice, but now I have the belief that I can deliver the same performance under match pressure.”

A breakthrough at the Asian Championships

Kamaljeet’s development took another step forward at the 2026 Asian Championships in New Delhi, where he won silver in the men’s 50m pistol.

He shot 561 in the individual event to finish second, producing one of the strongest senior results of his career.

The medal was particularly significant because it came ahead of his first Asian Games and provided evidence that his junior success could translate to the senior level.

It also gave him valuable experience of competing for a major continental medal — experience he can now take with him to Aichi-Nagoya.

Maiden appearence at Asian Games

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be Kamaljeet’s first appearance at the continental multi-sport event, adding another important milestone to his career.

He will compete in the men’s 50m pistol, his marquee individual discipline, against a field featuring some of Asia’s leading shooters.

The 23-year-old is approaching the competition with considerably more confidence than he had earlier in his career. The journey from athletics to shooting, the financial challenges of his formative years, the junior world title and his recent Asian Championships medal have all contributed to that belief.

More importantly, he now feels capable of transferring what he produces in training to the competition range. The lesson he has taken from his journey is one of perseverance.

“One lesson has stayed with me through every phase: if it doesn’t happen the way you wanted, it will happen in a better way than you imagined.”