Anjali Bhagwat Biography
Anjali Bhagwat or Anjali Vedpathak-Bhagwat, formerly known by the maiden name Anjali Ved Pathak, is one of the luminaries from the world of shooting. She was born in a Marathi Deshastha family in Mumbai. A professional rifle shooter, Bhagwat soared to the zenith of fame and success when she won four coveted gold medals for her country at the 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester.
Anjali Bhagwat emerged victorious in the singles as well as pairs event of the Air Rifle and Small Bore Rifle events at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. A recipient of several awards, Bhagwat was also the proud recipient of the Arjuna award in the year 2000 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for the period spanning between 2002-03, the two highest honors conferred by the Government of India to sports personalities for outstanding performance in the sporting arena. Some of the other distinguished and noteworthy awards that have been awarded to Anjali Bhagwat include the following:
- Maharashtra Pratishtha
- Chhatrapati Award
- Maharashtra Gaurav
Before Bhagwat’s entry into the realm of shooting, the sport was considered to be an exclusive domain for men. Anjali Bhagwat happens to be the first woman in the world of shooting who has inspired many talented youngsters to follow her footsteps and enter the sphere of the previously male dominated sport.Anjali Bhagwat’s first stint with shooting occurred during her years as a National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadet. Having realized her talent, Bhagwat trained under the able tutelage of Sanjay Chakravarthy and won her maiden national title in the year 1990. Her commendable performance in the 2000 Sydney Olympics where she finished seventh earned her several points from the sports critics.
