Anish Bhanwala is an Indian sport shooter who specialises in pistol events, particularly the 25 metre rapid fire pistol. He came to national prominence in 2018 when he won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, becoming, at the time, the youngest Indian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in shooting.
| Name | Anish Bhanwala |
|---|---|
| Sport | Sport shooting |
| Event | 25 m rapid fire pistol |
| Country | India |
| Home state | Haryana |
| Notable achievement | Gold medal, 25 m rapid fire pistol, 2018 Commonwealth Games |
Anish Bhanwala hails from Haryana, a state in northern India that has produced a number of leading Indian shooters and other athletes. He took up competitive shooting at a young age and progressed quickly through the junior ranks of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body for the sport in the country.
Bhanwala first attracted wider attention through strong performances on the junior circuit, competing in pistol events at national championships and international junior competitions organised under the framework of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Gold Coast, Australia, Bhanwala won the gold medal in the men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol event. The performance, achieved while he was still a teenager, made him one of the youngest Indian gold medallists in shooting at the Commonwealth Games and brought him national recognition.
Following the Commonwealth Games success, Bhanwala continued to represent India on the senior international circuit in ISSF World Cup events and Asian competitions in the 25 m rapid fire pistol discipline, an Olympic event.
Bhanwala's emergence is part of a broader trend of young Indian pistol shooters making an impact at international level in the late 2010s. His Commonwealth Games gold contributed to India's strong overall medal haul in shooting at Gold Coast 2018 and reinforced Haryana's position as one of the leading nurseries of Indian shooting talent.