Paralympic champion brother inspires teenage pistol talent Shiva Narwal

The 16-year-old has risen to be seen as the India's best pistol prospect heading into the shooting World Championships.

A year after Indian shooters’ dismal showing at the Tokyo Olympics, a fresh bunch has made it to the national team for the World Championships, edging out some of the established names. Among them is 16-year-old pistol talent Shiva Narwal, who was picked for next month’s meet in Cairo following great results at domestic and international meets.

Shiva Narwal

This season, Shiva’s high scores has left even young pistol ace Saurabh Chaudhary behind. Chaudhary, who burst on to the scene as a teen sensation four years ago, did not make the cut for the worlds. Chaudhary won World Cup medals and Asian Games gold during a brilliant run from 2018 to 2021, but faltered in Tokyo. Still, he was the lone Indian shooter to reach a final at the Olympics. He started 2022 with World Cup gold in Cairo, but maintaining such high standard for a long period is tough.

Shiva has raced ahead of the field. He won a junior World Cup gold, junior world championships team gold and topped the chart in the domestic selection trials. Now, in his first major international, he has an opportunity to win a Paris Olympics quota. It is the first tournament where quota places will be available.

Initially, Shiva found shooting so boring that he thought of running away to play football and kabaddi. But when an elder brother has excelled in the sport, it is tough to shake off interest.

Manish, who is four years older, won gold last year at the Tokyo Paralympics (50m air pistol). His excelling in the sport fighting a right-hand impairment has earned the respect of his family. Their father Dilbagh sent his younger children Shiva and Shikha also for training in shooting. Shikha, 17, won gold medals at the junior World Championships last year.

“I love football and kabaddi more than shooting. I was not at all excited at first but my father wanted me to follow Manish. We have grown up idolising Manish. It was difficult for me because I like outdoor sports,” says Shiva.

“I started enjoying shooting as my scores improved. I take it one tournament at a time, and irrespective of the opponents I focus on my shooting.”

Shiva and Manish would cycle down to a few km to train under Rakesh Singh at the 10X Shooting Academy in Ballabgarh, Faridabad in Haryana.

“We always talk about shooting. Manish has a lot of knowledge in the sport. He is so focussed, he has good technical understanding. I have picked up some of his style; I keep going to him when I face any issues.”

His biggest motivation was Manish winning the Paralympic gold. “It was huge for the entire family. He achieved that after so much struggle and it motivated me to improve,” says Shiva.

At the national championships last November, Shiva edged Chaudhary for the junior title and bettered his national record in the final (246.7 points). He beat Chaudhary with his last shot—a cool 10.7. At the senior nationals, Shiva won silver. In the world championships in Lima, he won team gold in air pistol, following it up with gold, silver and bronze at the Junior and Senior World Cups this year.

“Shiva is a natural. He has good technique and control and remembers his technique very well. You don’t have to tell him in between during a match how to handle a situation,” says coach Rakesh.

After shooting training, Shiva still likes to play football. “I gather the shooters in the academy and play a game of football,” he says.