India’s Manish Narwal secured a silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on Friday. The 22-year-old para-shooter delivered an impressive performance, accumulating a final score of 234.9.
Despite his strong showing, Narwal narrowly missed out on the gold medal, which was claimed by Jo Jeongdu of the Republic of Korea, who shot an exceptional 237.4. Yang Chao from the People’s Republic of China, the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist and world record holder, finished with a bronze, scoring 214.3.
Narwal started off well in the competition and was a strong contender for the gold medal early on. However, in the crucial final moments, he managed to score only one shot above 10 in his last six attempts.
This allowed Jo Jeongdu, a veteran in the sport, to seize the opportunity and climb to the top of the podium. Despite the near miss, Narwal’s silver medal added to India’s success at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, marking the country’s fourth overall medal and the third in shooting on the same day.
Reflecting on his performance, Manish expressed his satisfaction with the silver, despite his initial aim for gold. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work and was hoping for my best performance.
While I wanted the gold, I’m happy with the silver,” Manish said after the event. He also extended his gratitude to the support system behind him, including his coaches and the Indian sporting ecosystem.
Manish Narwal’s journey to the final was equally impressive, as he shot a total of 565 points in the qualification round to secure a spot in the eight-man final.
His accomplishments go beyond Paris, as three years ago, Narwal became the first male Indian para-shooter to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, achieving the feat in the mixed SH1 50m pistol event at Tokyo 2020.
The SH1 category is designated for athletes who have an upper and/or lower limb impairment, but can hold a pistol without assistance. A recipient of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honor, Manish comes from a family deeply rooted in shooting.
His younger brother Shiva Narwal is an Asian Games champion, while his sister Shikha Narwal earned gold in the 50m pistol at the 2021 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru. Narwal’s silver medal in Paris continues his impressive run on the international stage.
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