Anjali Bhagwat

Event Description

Anjali Bhagwat is a legendary professional Indian sport shooter and a pioneer for women in Indian sports, famously reaching the milestone of World Number One in the 10m Air Rifle event in 2002. Over her illustrious career, she won 12 gold and 4 silver medals at the Commonwealth Games and became the first Indian woman shooter to reach an Olympic final during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is also the only Indian to win the prestigious International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Champion of Champions award, sealing her legacy as one of India's greatest rifle shooters.

Summary

She continues to shape the future of Indian sports by training the next generation of competitive shooters from her base in Pune. Demonstrating her ongoing leadership, she is currently serving as India's Deputy Chef de Mission at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She was also honored with a special recognition at the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Awards in early 2026 for her outstanding and lasting contribution to the sport.

Award Details

September 29, 2001