New Delhi, 26 August (H.S.): The story of 20-year-old pistol shooter Suchi Inder Singh Phogat from the small village of Sasrauli in Haryana’s Jhajjar district is one of perseverance, self-belief and continuous improvement. She first took up a pistol at the age of 13 at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani and has since emerged as a junior world record-holder and multiple ISSF World Cup gold medallist. She is now setting her sights on the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Recalling her early days, Suchi said in an official statement, “When I started shooting, nobody knew me. I was just an ordinary 13-year-old girl who did not even have an Indian team jersey. Today, wearing that jersey is a matter of immense pride for me. It reminds me of how far I have come.”

For Suchi, shooting was not part of any predetermined plan. She took up the sport by chance and never looked back. She believes shooting gave her an opportunity to build an identity of her own.

“People watch shooting and think, what is so difficult about it? You just have to stand and aim. But they do not see what is happening inside the athlete. Controlling your thoughts, breathing and emotions with every shot is the real challenge,” she said.

Suchi also regards defeats as opportunities to learn. According to her, a competition is not defined solely by the medal one wins. If she fails to win, she looks for the mistake, understands it and returns determined to perform better the next time.

Suchi also credits the support of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) as an important factor in her success. She said her coaches and training camps have significantly transformed her approach to practice, preparation and understanding the sport.

Suchi ended the 2025 season with a junior world record at the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha. In 2026, she won a silver medal in the mixed team event with Samrat Rana at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship in New Delhi.

She then produced a historic gold-and-silver finish with Esha Singh in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich. With that performance, she secured direct qualification for this year’s World Cup Final in Rome.

As she looks ahead to the Asian Games, Suchi wants to stay away from the pressure of expectations surrounding the result.

“At the Asian Games, I do not want to think about what the result will be. I want to fight for every shot, give 100 per cent and walk away from the range knowing that I gave everything I had for the medal,” she said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar