Want to win at least 5 Paralympic medals for India, says gold-medallist shooter Manish Narwal | Tokyo Paralympics News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: “Want to win at least five Paralympic medals for my country,” India shooter Manish Narwal told Timesofindia.com after smashing the Paralympic record to win a gold medal in the P4 Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 event in his debut outing in Tokyo. But the 19-year-old Narwal, who shot a total of 218.2 to clinch gold, doesn’t want to stop here and aims to make four more medal-winning Paralympic appearances.
Narwal claimed the top honours, while his compatriot Singhraj Adhana added a silver to his kitty with an effort of 216.7, giving India a 1-2 finish in the Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 event.

“I am really happy that we both finished in the top two and won gold and silver for our country. I got goosebumps when the national anthem was played. It was a huge moment for me and I will cherish that forever. No feeling can match it. I am just 19 and I have to go a long way,” Narwal told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.
” (But) I will not be sitting satisfied with one gold medal. I can play at least 4 to 5 Paralympics and I am sure I will return with a medal in every edition.”

Narwal was also part of the men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 event. He finished the qualification round on top with a total of 575 but ended up outside the medal bracket in the final between the eight finalists. He finished seventh.
“I wanted to win a medal in the 10m as well but that didn’t happen,” he said.

However, Narwal didn’t let that disappointment hurt his chances in the 50m event.
“It is tough to make a comeback after a defeat. You need a psychological boost and start afresh. I left all dejection and sadness behind and promised myself that I will make a comeback. I was adamant about winning a gold medal in 50m. I am happy that I fulfilled the promise I had made to myself,” he said.

NARWAL’S STORY – TURNING LEFT-HANDED
Narwal, who comes from Faridabad in Haryana, had an impairment in his right shoulder and arm since birth. The doctors informed his family about the immobility of his right shoulder and arm. His family visited many doctors and hospitals across the country but to no avail. They still kept trying but not a single ray of hope came their way.
“I was not able to lift my right hand. My family struggled a lot but never gave up on me. In fact, a doctor was ready to operate on me but he cautioned my family against a risk. He said if something goes wrong, my body can be 100 percent damaged. In the end, they accepted the fate and started doing everything to turn me into a left-hander,” he said. “Whatever I am today, it is because of my family. I owe my life to them.

“When I was dejected after losing in the 10m final, I spoke with my family. They said even if I returned without a medal, they will still praise me for my performance, they will still treat me as a winner,” he added.

Gold medallist Manish Narwal (right) of India celebrates on the podium next to countrymate and silver medallist Singhraj Adana. (Reuters Photo)
AVANI’S GOLD A HUGE BOOST
Narwal, along with all the shooters and coaches, was applauding Avani Lekhara when she won a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing event. That was India’s first gold at the Tokyo Paralympics.

“Avani’s gold gave a big boost to all of us. It inspired me to do well. It was a massive start from here and we wanted to maintain the momentum. I am really happy that I managed to give India another gold medal,” Narwal said.
Narwal’s gold contributed in turning the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics into India’s best ever with a total haul of 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver and six bronze.