Gagan Narang is an Indian shooter hailing from Punjab. He is an air rifle shooter. He was supported by the Olympic Gold Quest. Gagan Narang was the first Indian to qualify for the London Olympics. He won the Bronze Medal in the Men`s 10 meters Air Rifle Event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a final score of 701.1 on 30th July 2012.
Gagan Narang was born in Chennai on 6th May in the year 1983 in a Punjabi Arora family. He is of Punjabi origin though his fore-fathers moved out of Punjab long ago and his grandparents belonged to Samalkha in Panipat district in Haryana.
His grandfather then moved from Panipat District to Hyderabad. His parents are Bhimsen Narang and Amarjit. Though Gagan Narang was born in Chennai, he was raised in Hyderabad.
Gagan Narang later studied in Bhavan`s Sri Ramakrishna Vidyalaya (BSRKV). He touched the gun for the first time at the age of six for shooting down balloons at Chennai Marina Beach carnival. His prowess at shooting was well brought out at that age which he sharpened later.
Gagan Narang is a gold medallist in the Afro-Asian Games in the year 2003 in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana on 26 October 2003 in Men`s 10m air rifle competition.
Gagan Narang had won an air rifle gold medal at the World Cup 2006 and followed that event in April 2010.
In a pre-Olympic event in Hannover, Germany, Gagan Narang shot a panis air rifle score higher than the world record, 704.3 as opposed to 703.1 set by Thomas Farnik of Austria in the World Cup 2006. Gagan Narang won 4 gold medals at 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Gagan Narang qualified for the 2008 ISSF World Cup Final after he won gold in the World Cup in China earlier in 2008. Gagan Narang shot a perfect 600 in the qualification round. He scored 103.5 in the final round making total score of 703.5 to gain the universe record.
On 4th November 2008, Gagan Narang broke Austria`s Thomas Farnik`s record, set in the 2006 World Cup final in Granada, Spain. Gagan said his win was special because Barack Obama, who won the United States` Presidential election on same day, was a source of inspiration.
Gagan Narang added four gold medals to the Indian tally at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. In the Men`s 10 meters air rifle singles event, he shot a perfect 600 which was a new record.
Gagan Narang also clinched a silver medal in his pet event at the Asian Games 2010. He also teamed up with Abhinav Bindra, another Indian shooter and Sanjeev Rajput to provide the country with another silver in the team event behind champions China. Both of his silvers were won on the opening day of Asian Games.
Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event at the 2012 London Olympics with a total score of 701.1 becoming India`s first medal winner at the 2012 games.
Gagan Narang was just behind the silver medallist Niccolo Campriani of Italy who scored 701.5, while the gold medallist Alin George Moldoveanu of Romania was at 702.1. However he failed to qualify for the finals of the men`s 50-metre rifle three positions at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
Gagan Narang won 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal in 50-metre rifle prone and 50 metre rifle 3 positions respectively at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
