The final-year student of Masters in Public Administration at Lovely Professional University knew that the Khelo India University Games Rajasthan 2025 was probably his final opportunity to find that winning rhythm ahead of the Senior National Shooting Championships, and the 23-year-old did that and more as he clinched the Men’s 50m Rifle 3-position gold and also helped his university grab the team gold at the Jagatpura Shooting Range.
"Today's result was something I manifested from the past because I was undergoing a lot of changes. It was quite encouraging to have a milestone like this ahead of the national championships. And this was my fourth time participating in the university games, and I have always been on the podium, so I didn't want to break my streak," Sartaj told SAI Media.
The 23-year-old took up shooting at his boarding school and since then he has been a consistent performer on the national and international circuit, winning an Asian championship silver medal in 2023, a fourth-place finish in the world championships in 2023, and a bronze medal in the World University Games in 2023.
However, Sartaj’s dream of following in his cousin brother and Olympian Arjun Singh Cheema’s footsteps suffered a setback in July last year when his father Kultej was put on a ventilator due to pneumonitis followed by a rare condition of getting chickenpox in the lungs.
This meant that Sartaj had to leave the National Centre of Excellence at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi and return to Mohali to take care of his father’s recovery.
The mental struggle to see his father in such bad shape took a toll on Sartaj, affecting his practice and performance. He was not able to practise regularly, and when he did, his mind was preoccupied with his father’s health. He was mentally exhausted, and it was a challenge for him to concentrate on shooting.
Despite these difficulties, Sartaj continued his training with the help of his Khelo India scholarship amount, as the family was already spending a lot towards his father's recovery. He also missed many competitions, but he was determined to make a comeback at KIUG 2025.
With his father in recovery, Sartaj is attempting to de-clutter his mind and focus on his mental and physical health as the countdown for Indian team’s selection for the 2026 Asian Games begins with the Senior Nationals later this month.
Khelo India University Games 2025 was a stiff test of his preparations and he came out with flying colours.
“I am the kind of guy who keeps on grinding regardless of the result… Everybody goes through different phases and I have been through one such phase. But now it’s all sorted out and I hope to do well in the future,” he added.
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