Apurvi Chandela is an Indian air rifle shooter who plays in the 10 m air rifle category. He was honored with one of the highest Indian sports awards ‘Arjuna Award’ in 2016 for his outstanding performance.
Wiki/Biography
Apurvi Singh Chandela was born on Monday, January 4, 1993 (age 28 years; in 2021) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. His zodiac sign is Capricorn.
Apurvi Chandela’s childhood photos with her father
She attended Mayo College Girls School, Ajmer, Rajasthan, and Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, Jaipur, Rajasthan. Later, he pursued a BA honors in sociology from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University.
Physical appearance
Height: 5′ 1″
Weight: 52 kg
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Family
His father, Kuldeep Singh Chandela, is a hotelier in Rajasthan, and his mother, Bindu Rathore, is a former basketball player. Apurvis’ older sister, Tejasvi Chandela, is a pastry chef.
Apurvi Chandela with her parents and sister
Career
Apurvi started practicing shooting when she was in class 11 at Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, Jaipur, Rajasthan. When he joined college in Delhi, he was selected to participate in the National Shooting Championship (2012) where he won the gold medal in the 10 m air rifle event. He then began his training in shooting under ‘Rakesh Manpat,’ an Indian shooter from Bangalore. Soon, he excelled in his game and won many national and international championships. In 2019, he was ranked as the number one 10 m air rifle shooter in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRUXT1TYja4
In an interview, he said,
I play every game with the intention of giving my best, and I think it’s normal to feel pressure to perform well. I also experienced it in the first match I ever played, but I’m used to it now because I’ve played in many competitions and gained more experience.”
Later, he did shooting training under Stanislav Lapidus and National team coach Oleg Mikhailov. In an interview, he talked about his coach. He said,
I train back home (in Jaipur) or in Bengaluru, where my personal coach is, and when I come back with the (Indian) team, I have a good relationship with the coach who is there, Oleg sir. He understands me very well and knows what works for me, what doesn’t. He has been working with us for a long time (since September 2016). So there is an understanding with my personal coach and the national team. They are aware of each other. So it works fine for me. They allow me to be in my space because it’s more important for me to work with a clear mind.”
Apurvi Chandela with her coach Rakesh Manpat
In 10 m air rifle shooting his hands are correct, and his master’s eyes are also correct. He was selected under the 10 m rifle air shooting category to represent India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The event was postponed to 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medal in 10 m Air Rifle
gold
- ISSF World Cup 2019 in New Delhi
- 2019 ISSF World Cup in Munich
- ISSF World Cup 2019 in Rio de Janeiro
- India Senior National Shooting Championship 2012 in New Delhi
- 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
Apurvi Chandela with her gold medal at the 2019 ISSF World Cup
silver
- 2015 ISSF World Cup in Munich
- 2019 ISSF World Cup in Munich
- 2019 ISSF World Cup Final in Putian
Bronze
- 2015 ISSF World Cup in Changwon
- 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast
Awards & Honors
- Letter of Appreciation by the former President of India Dr. Pranab Mukherjee in July 2014
Apurvi Chandela Appreciation Letter
Favorite Things
- Song: Hall Of Fame by Will.I.Am (2012) and title song Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
- Food: Gatte ki Sabji and Daal-Baati
- Movies: Mary Kom (2014), Raazi (2018), and Angrezi Mediun (2020)
- Autobiography: Andre Agassi’s “Open”, Rafael Nadal’s “Rafa- My Story” and Abhinav Bindra’s “A Shot at History”
- Fiction Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Facts/Trivia
- His family and friends call him Apu.
- Initially, he wanted to be a sports journalist, but after seeing former Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra win the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he decided to become a shooter.
Apurvi Chandela with Abhinav Bindra and Niccolo Campriani
- His great grandfather Thakur K. Singh took to target shooting (after retirement) with ‘Dr. Karni Singh’ who was a five-time Olympic Shooter and the shooting range in Delhi is named after him.
- In the early years of his training, he had to travel 45 minutes from his home to the shooting range in Jaipur. Later, his parents set up a shooting range in the basement of his house.
- He enjoys reading, traveling, and meditating in his spare time. He said,
The life of an international athlete can be hectic, but Chandela loves to travel and always makes time to stop and smell the roses. Rome, the Eternal City, was his favorite destination.”
- In an interview, he talked about his love for photography. He said,
I have seen the image taken by Gagan (Narang) and I really like it. In the back of my mind, I always wanted to learn nature / wildlife photography. So, I created an online course. I want to get better but I don’t get time early because of filming.”
- Apurvi is an avid animal lover and has three pet dogs named Gabbar, Shera and Phantom.
Apurvi Chandela and her pet dog
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- Apart from shooting rifles, he likes to play basketball, football and cricket.
- Chandela loves learning new languages and has a keen interest in learning German. In an interview, he talked about the same. He said,
I also want to learn German after finishing the photography course because many of the shooting events take place in Germany. German is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. My uncle speaks German well so he can also guide me if I falter.”
- He has superstitions related to shooting air rifles. In an interview, he said,
We have a rifle stand and I used to put a blue towel in it. The stand has a rubber top so it helps me slide the gun and hold it. When I have to take it out, the towel will help it come out smoothly. I’ve been doing this for years and I’m pretty superstitious about it.”
Apurvi Chandela during his training session
- During the interview, she shared how she always bounces back after losing a competition. He said,
Highs and lows are part of every sportsman’s journey I believe and there is always something I learn from a bad match. The step back after the loss itself gave me the drive to push harder and harder and take a leap in the next match. The passion for the sport is very important and the pride to win for the country.”
- Apurvi is a spiritual person and has deep faith in God.
- In an interview, he was asked how his family and townspeople reacted to his success? He replied,
My family is the reason I have come this far. They have been my pillar of strength. They always encourage me and they enjoy watching my matches. In fact, 12 members of my family were there to support me in Glasgow during the Commonwealth Games. My city, Jaipur, has given me a lot of love, and I am happy to see so many youngsters taking part in shooting.”
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
