Kynan Chenai is an Indian Trap shooter. He is the son of the famous National Shooting champion, Darius Chenai. He won the Asia Olympic Shooting qualifiers held in Delhi in 2016.
Wiki/Biography
Kynan Chenai was born on Tuesday, 29 January 1991 (age 32 years; as of 2023) in Hyderabad, India. He completed his schooling at Hebron School, Ooty, Tamil Nadu. As a kid, Kynan was not into studies and participated more in sports. During school, he played team sports like field hockey and football. he was also the school’s freestyle swimming champion for three years. The guns in his father’s room caught the attention of Kynan at a very young age. Kynan Chenai was fascinated by watching the Olympic rings as a young kid and made a commitment to himself that one day he would feature at the Olympics. He pursued his graduation in Business Management and Sports Science at Brunel University, London.
Kynan Chenai’s childhood picture with his mother
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′ 0″
Weight (approx.): 85 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Kynan Chenai belongs to a reputed Parsi family of Hyderabad.
Parents & Siblings
Kynan Chenai’s father, Darius Chenai, is an Indian businessman and a former National Shooting Champion and his mother, Dinaz Noria, is an event designer.
Kynan Chenai (right) with his father
Wife
Kynan Chenai is unmarried.
Religion
Kynan Chenai follows Zoroastrianism.
Career
At the age of 10, Kynan started shooting and he was taught by his father in 2000. Talking about beginning his career in shooting, in an interview, he said,
Initially, I shot for fun. Then, I got used to the game and it ended up becoming an obsession by the time I turned 16.”
Kynan Chenai practising with his father
In 2003, Kynan stood fourth in the GV Mavlankar Shooting Championship in Chennai. In the GV Mavlankar Shooting Championship, Kynan competed in the 21-year-old category. Later, Chenai trained under Mansher Singh, a four-time Olympic champion. Kynan has played in many International tournaments including the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, 2022 Asian Games, and the 2016 Summer Olympics. On 28 January 2016, he bagged one of the four quotas for India in the Men’s Trap event on day two of the Asia Olympic Shooting qualifiers.
Kynan Chenai practising
Kynan playing at the ISSF World Cup in 2016
In 2016, Kynan led a group of 75 shooters at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. He finished 19th in the men’s trap event in his first Olympics event at Rio De Janeiro in 2016.
Kynan Chenai holding the Olympic torch
Kynan Chenai is sponsored by Beretta, an Italian firearms manufacturing company, and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), a not-for-profit company for the promotion of Sports and Games.
Kynan Chenai with the heads of OGQ
Medals
Gold
- In 2017, he won a bronze medal in the Mixed Team Trap at the Asian Shotgun Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan.
- In 2021, he won a gold medal in the Trap Team Men at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi.
Silver
- In 2008, he won a silver medal in Trap Men’s Junior at the Asian Championships in Jaipur, India.
- In 2022, he won a silver medal in the Trap Team Men at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy.
Bronze
- In 2022, he won a Bronze medal in the Trap Team Men at the ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru.
- In 2017, he won a bronze medal in the Trap Men at the Asian Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Awards and Achievements
- Kynan Chenai has won the junior national gold five times.
- Kynan won many gold medals at the state level in trap, double trap, and skeet categories at the age of 12.
Favourites
- Sport(s): football, shooting
- Shooter(s): Mansher Singh, Manavjit Singh Sandhu
- athlete(s): Annie Thorisdottir, Frederik Aegidius
- Movie Series: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Facts/Trivia
- In 2003, Kynan was featured for the first time in The Times of India article, which was a snippet of an interview with a 12-year-old Kynan, talking to the interviewer about beginning his career in trap shooting, he said,
I started shooting when I was 10 and it took me a year to fine-tune my skills, My dad is also my coach. I love sports more than studies and after school, I play football or hockey, running or swimming.”
- During school, Kynan chose German as his elective foreign language.
- Kynan loves outdoor activities and his hobbies include Fishing, travelling, trekking and camping.
- Kynan loves playing video games and used to indulge in them a lot as a kid. In an interview talking about playing video games, he said,
I know it’s not too good for my eyes, so I ration it out and play, maybe once a week, I am focused on my shooting now. Fitness is always the top priority. I like to keep my mind and body ready for the competition,”
- Kynan is a dog lover and often posts pictures of himself with his dog, Yeti, on his Instagram account.
Kynan Chenai with his dog