Overview
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is an Indian politician, former soldier and retired sport shooter. He is best known for winning India's first individual silver medal at the Olympic Games in shooting, achieved in the men's double trap event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. After retiring from competitive shooting and the Indian Army, he entered politics with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has served as a Union Minister of State as well as a Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly in Rajasthan.
Key facts
| Full name | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970, Rajasthan, India |
| Profession | Politician, former Army officer, former sport shooter |
| Sport | Shooting (double trap) |
| Olympic medal | Silver, Men's Double Trap, Athens 2004 |
| Military service | Indian Army (Grenadiers Regiment), retired with the rank of Colonel |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) |
| Constituency (Lok Sabha) | Jaipur Rural |
| Constituency (Rajasthan Assembly) | Jhotwara |
| Notable awards | Padma Shri, Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna |
Background and education
Rathore was born in 1970 into a Rajput family from Rajasthan. He studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya and at the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, before joining the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Grenadiers Regiment of the Indian Army through the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. During his service, he also pursued higher studies, including programmes in management.
Shooting career
Rathore took up competitive shotgun shooting while serving in the Army and rose rapidly through national and international ranks during the early 2000s.
- 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester: Won gold in the pairs double trap event and a further medal in the individual double trap.
- 2003 Afro-Asian Games, Hyderabad: Multiple medals in double trap.
- 2004 Athens Olympics: Won the silver medal in the men's double trap, becoming the first Indian to win an individual silver at the Olympic Games.
- 2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne: Won gold in the men's double trap.
- 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships, Zagreb: Won a medal in the double trap event.
He represented India at successive ISSF World Cup events and Asian Championships during this period and was widely regarded as one of the leading double trap shooters in the world.
Honours for sport
- Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in shooting.
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour at the time, awarded for the year of his Olympic medal.
- Padma Shri, conferred by the Government of India for distinguished service in sport.
Military career
Rathore served in the Grenadiers Regiment of the Indian Army and took voluntary retirement at the rank of Colonel to pursue public life. His Army career included regimental service and representation of the armed forces in national and international shooting competitions.
Political career
Rathore joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2013 ahead of the 2014 general election.
- 2014: Elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from the Jaipur Rural constituency in Rajasthan.
- 2014–2017: Served as Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the first Narendra Modi government.
- 2017–2019: Held independent charge of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as Minister of State, in addition to Information and Broadcasting. During this period he was associated with the launch and rollout of the Khelo India programme, aimed at strengthening grassroots sport.
- 2019: Re-elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from Jaipur Rural.
- 2023: Elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from the Jhotwara constituency, after which he was inducted into the state government led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, holding portfolios including Industries, Youth Affairs and Sports, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Information Technology and Communications, and Public Grievances Redressal.
Significance
Rathore occupies a distinctive place in Indian public life as one of the few individuals to have combined a career as a decorated armed forces officer, an Olympic medallist, and a Union Minister. His Athens 2004 silver is often cited as a turning point that broadened public attention towards Olympic shooting in India and contributed to the subsequent rise of Indian shooters such as Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar. As Sports Minister, he was associated with policy initiatives that sought to expand school- and college-level participation in competitive sport.
Personal life
Rathore is married to Gayatri Rathore, and the couple have two children. He has authored writings drawing on his experiences in the Army and in elite sport, and has been associated with public campaigns on fitness and youth engagement.
Related topics
- Shooting at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- India at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Abhinav Bindra
- Khelo India
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
- Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- Bharatiya Janata Party
- Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha constituency
- Jhotwara Assembly constituency
- Grenadiers Regiment
- Rashtriya Indian Military College
- National Defence Academy
References
- Official website of the Lok Sabha, Member profile.
- Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, archival press releases.
- International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) results archive.
- International Olympic Committee, athlete records for the 2004 Athens Games.
- Election Commission of India, statistical reports for the 2014, 2019 and 2023 elections.