While the nation is celebrating the resounding success of our athletes at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, our community is thrilled on the excellent success of shooter Kynan Chenai, who has been literally blazing a golden trail with his wins, at this prominent international sports platform.

Hyderabad-based Kynan Darius Chenai won the hearts of the nation and earned praise from PM Narendra Modi by securing a bronze in the Men’s Trap-50 Individual final, shooting into the spotlight as a member of the gold-medal-winning team in the men’s trap event. The Men’s trap team, comprising Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Singh, and Prithviraj Tondaiman, made history by clinching India’s first-ever gold in the men’s trap team event, accumulating 361 points. With Kynan’s bronze in the final shooting event, India’s total medal count in shooting reached a record-breaking 22, including 7 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze medals, illuminating the future of Trap Shooting in India.

Having completed his primary schooling in Hyderabad, Kynan was passionate about sports from an early age, showcasing his all-around sporting abilities in school as a freestyle swimming champion, also participating in Field Hockey and Football. He went on to pursue higher education in Business Management and Sports Science, at Brunel University, London.

His journey with the shotgun began at age 12, when his father – a two-time National Award-winning trap shooter himself, became his coach, laying the groundwork for his success. He was later coached by legendary Olympian and trap shooter Mansher Singh. Over the years, Kynan has participated and won various state-level, national and international trp-shooting championships, including Junior Men’s National Championship, Asian Clay Championship and the Commonwealth Youth Games.

But it was in 2016 that Kynan’s dream of competing in the Olympics became a reality, after he clinched fourth place at the Asia Olympic Shooting qualifiers in the men’s trap event, thus securing a spot at the Rio Olympics, where he placed at the 19^th position in the Men’s Trap Event.

The son of proud parents – Darius and Dinaz Chenai, the accomplished trap shooter, in a news report, attributed the win to great team effort and said it would only further spur him to realise his ultimate dream of winning an Olympic medal in Paris, next year.

Hangzhou is the third Chinese city (after Beijing-1990 and Guangzhou-2010) to host the Asian Games, which commenced on 23^rd September and will conclude on 8^th October, 2023.