21-yr-old Shapath Bharadwaj of Ghaziabad wins Gold in Khelo India games in trap shooting
Representing his university, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS) in Faridabad, Shapath emerged victorious over his university mate, Manavditya Rathore, with a score of 43-38
International shooting athlete, 21-year-old Shapath Bharadwaj of Ghaziabad bagged gold in the individual trap shooting event on Saturday at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG).
The KIUG, organized by Uttar Pradesh this year, spanned from May 25 to May 28, with matches held in various cities across the state. However, all shooting competitions were conducted exclusively at the shooting range in Delhi. The men’s trap shooting event took place at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in Delhi, along with all the other shooting competitions.
Representing his university, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS) in Faridabad, Shapath emerged victorious over his university mate, Manavditya Rathore, with a score of 43-38.
Shapath’s performance placed him among the elite finalists, which included Manavditya Rathore, Anwar, Aditya Bhardwaj, Shardul Vihan, and Kabir Sharma. Notably, Shapath secured the Gold medal, Rathore settled for the Silver with a score of 38, while Anwar claimed the Bronze with a score of 31.
Reflecting on his journey, Shapath shared that he began his tryst with shooting at the age of 12. “Initially, I was training for double trap shooting, an Olympic sport at the time. However, my dreams of competing at the Tokyo Olympics were dashed when double trap shooting was removed from the program in 2019.”
Undeterred, Shapath shifted his focus to trap shooting and joined MRIIRS in 2020, pursuing a BBA in International Business. His training continued at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tughlakabad, Delhi.
Besides his KIUG triumph, Shapath also claimed the Gold medal in the team event for trap shooting at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship held in Croatia in October 2022. Additionally, he has proudly secured eight international medals, representing India in various esteemed competitions such as World Championships, World Cups, and international Grand Prix.
Shapath’s parents are journalists, and he has an elder brother.
The KIUG is a part of the Indian government’s Khelo India initiative, which is focused towards promoting grassroots sports and identifying young talents from all across the country.
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