Anish Bhanwala: All You Need to Know About His Background, Career, Family, Personal Life

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Anish Bhanwala, born September 26, 2002, in Karnal, Haryana, is one of two shooters who will compete in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

He represented India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2018 Asian Games, the ISSF Junior World Championship in 2017 (Suhl), the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in 2017 (Brisbane), the World Shooting Championships in 2018, as well as at various ISSF Senior and Junior World Cups and the South Asian Games held in Kathmandu.

Early Life and Education

Anish was born in the village of Kashandi in Sonipat and grew up in Karnal, Haryana. He completed his high school education at St. Theresa's Convent Sr. Sec. School. His interest in shooting developed while he was involved in modern pentathlon events.

At the age of just 11, he competed in the Modern Pentathlon World Championship in Cyprus. Following that, he participated in the UIPM Asian Oceanic (Olympic Qualification Competition) Championship held in Beijing, China.

Personal Life

From the very beginning of his sporting journey, Anish received unwavering support from his parents. His father even borrowed a pistol for him to practice at a shooting range. Anish's elder sister Muskan Bhanwala is also an accomplished international medalist, having won both an individual gold and a team gold medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney in 2018.

Anish Bhanwala's personal coach is DSP Harpreet Singh, who is a gold medalist in both individual and team events from the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Anish drew inspiration from DSP Harpreet Singh after the police officer won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, respectively. Harpreet has been Anish's mentor since they first met at a National Championship in 2015 and he has played a significant role in shaping Anish's performance since then.

Shooting Career

His notable achievements include winning two golds, two silvers, and one bronze at the ISSF Junior World Championship in 2017, where he also set a new world record in the 25m Standard Pistol event.

Anish made headlines at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where he won a gold medal at just 15 years old, becoming the youngest Indian to achieve this feat. He also won individual gold and team silver at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney in 2018 alongside his sister Muskan, marking a historic moment for sibling achievements in shooting.

In subsequent years, Anish continued to excel, winning gold at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Germany in 2019 and setting a new national record in the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi. He secured an individual bronze medal at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo in 2023 and won two bronze medals at the Asian Shooting Championship in Changwon, which also earned India an Olympic quota in the Rapid Fire Pistol event after an 11-year gap.