Trap shooter Rathore was seen as flag bearer of Indian sports when he clinched a historic silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. He remained India's lone individual medal winner in Olympics till fellow marksman Abhinav Bindra emulated the Colonel four years later in Beijing by winning a gold.
"People called me a mad when I first started preparing for winning at the Olympics," Rathore said during the inaugural Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) night here.
Now a minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rathore said the TOISA awards night, which was graced by legendary American athlete Carl Lewis besides a host of big names from the Indian sports fraternity, including former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, reminded him of his playing days.
"This reminds me of my playing days. It's a great initiative, recognising the achievements of India's sportspersons. This is highly motivating," the 45-year-old retired Army man said in the presence of the who's who of Indian sports.
Born in Jaisalmer, Rathore is a multiple Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Cup and World Championships medallist.