17-year-old Shooter Rudransh Khandelwal aiming for Gold in the Paris Paralympics 2024

17-year-old pistol marksman Rudransh Khandelwal is ready to make his debut in the Paris Paralympics 2024. He lost his leg when he was just eight years old but he overcame everything in his way to become the world No.1 in 50m pistol (SH1) and is now aiming for gold in his maiden Paralympics.

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Rudransh Khandelwal eyes gold In maiden Paris Paralympics 2024

Seeing shooter Manu Bhaker struggling with a pistol malfunction during the Tokyo Olympics was a "lesson" for Rudransh. He now always carries a spare pistol for both domestic and international competitions.

"Like the weapon malfunction during competition, how to quickly get used to the other (spare) weapon and shoot. I prepare myself for every eventuality in the competition, including a delayed match, a shot getting canceled, or any other eventuality. So, if at all an adverse situation arises, I will be ready to handle it," said Rudransh.

Manu had a pistol malfunction during the 10m competitions in Tokyo which cost her a place in the final.

"That (Manu incident) gave me that thought (to always keep a spare weapon). You might have confidence in your abilities but the weapon is only a piece of equipment, which can malfunction anytime. Following that incident, every shooter gives priority to a spare weapon," Rudransh said.

His prosthetic leg broke just 15 minutes before the start of a domestic competition. It was another lesson for Rudransh to be ready with a toolkit to promptly repair the contraption.

"It's happened 15-20 minutes before a match when my prosthetic leg broke. Now I keep a toolkit to quickly repair it. And, if it happens again, I am ready for it," said Rudransh

"There was a short-circuit in the electronic gadget controlling the fireworks and a flying metal plate severed my left leg just below the knee. I was taken to a hospital in Bharatpur from where I was referred to Jaipur and then to a hospital in Gurugram but my leg couldn't be saved. So, the next thing was a prosthetic leg," Rudransh shared how he lost his leg in an accident.

Rudransh started his career with 10m air pistol. It took him seven years to get into the national squad. 

"I could not stand on my prosthetic leg for more than 2-3 hours during practice. He (coach) continued to work on me and from 2-3 hours, it became 7-8 hours. I'm 17 years old and continue to grow, so every month the prosthetic leg has to be readjusted. I have had four prosthetic leg replacements since I lost my leg. Recently, with the help of TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) funding, I have been able to afford a high-end adjustable leg costing Rs 8 lakh," he added.

There are lots of expectations from the Indian fans. The fans are expecting nothing less than a gold from the young lad and Rudransh is also confident. He said multiple times that he is absolutely ready for the competition.