The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has nominated rifle ace Anjum Moudgil for the Khel Ratna.
The 26-year-old Moudgil, who started shooting in 2008, is among the first two Indians to have secured quota places in the sport for the Tokyo Olympics.
The shooter from Chandigarh earned the quota in the 10m Air Rifle event when she won the silver medal in the ISSF World Cup in Korea in 2008.
Last year, Moudgil paired up with Divyansh Singh Panwar to claim the 10m Air Rifle mixed team gold medal in the ISSF World Cup in Munich and Beijing.
She also reached the final in the 10m Air Rifle event in the ISSF World Cup in Munich and Rio de Janeiro.
Last December, Moudgil won the title in the women’s 50m 3P event at the 63rd National Shooting Championship in Bhopal.
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award carries a medallion, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh.
Anjum ‑ an Indian sport shooter who hails from Chandigarh and represents Punjab ‑ took up shooting while studying in Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh.
She completed her graduation and post graduation in humanities from DAV College, Chandigarh.
She completed her Masters in sports psychology. She is an avid abstract artist and has sold many of her artworks.
She became a Sub Inspector (SI) with Punjab Police, India.
Career
2016: She took 9th Position at the 2016 World Cup, Munich and silver medal in World University Championship. She took gold in South Asian Games.
2017: She won the silver medal in 10m Air Rifle Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters.
2018: She won a silver medal in the women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event at the ISSF World Cup in Mexico. At the Commonwealth Games (CWG) she secured the silver medal, scoring 455.7 points, achieving 151.9 in kneeling and 157.1 in prone. In the qualification round, she broke the CWG Qualifying record by a significant margin. Moudgil scored 589 (196 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 194 in standing).
2019: On 1st May, 2019, Anjum claimed the world number 2 spot in women’s 10m Air Rifle ISSF rankings. She was India’s No. 1 in Women’s 50m 3P.
Awards
Anjum was one of 19 athletes picked up by the selection committee for the Arjuna Award year 2019.
