Skeet shooter Angad Bajwa switches nationality, to compete for Canada

One of the premier men’s skeet shooters from India, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa has switched his nationality. From now on, Angad will represent Canada. He announced his decision via a social media announcement, showing his new red shooting vest with the Canadian flag embossed on it.

While he had tried to switch over in 2021 as well -- this switch from Angad did come as a surprise for many in the shooting community. His fourth place finish in the skeet final, where he shot down 35 targets at the National Shooting Championships Competitions, was his last competition.

Indian team mates Gurjoat Singh Khangura, Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Harmehar Singh Lally finished in the top three individual positions. One of the biggest pull for the shooter, who represented India at the Tokyo Olympics Games, was that his family is settled in Canada, where his father Gurpal Singh Bajwa has a flourishing business.

Bajwa has a rare distinction of being the only Indian shooter to win back-to-back Asian Shooting Championships in 2018 and 2019. At the 2018 championships, he became the first-ever shooter to record a perfect score of 60/60 in the finals. In world cups, Angad has won a mixed team gold alongside Ganemat Sekhon medal at the New Delhi meet in 2021. At the same championships he was part of the trio including Mairaj and Gurjoat won the team gold.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) secretary general Pawan Singh said that the no objection certificate (NOC) has already been issued to the Chandigarh shooter after the nationals.

“Yes we had received his application seeking an NOC and since we cannot stop him as there is a freedom of choice in this country so we have issued the NOC to him,” Singh told the Tribune on Friday.

“No doubt his leaving is a big loss to both the NRAI as a federation and to our country but like I said there was no way we could have stopped him from going. We have the talent in this country to cope with his loss,” he added.