New Delhi: Teenage shooter Suruchi Inder Singh etched her name in history books by claiming her second consecutive ISSF World Cup gold in Lima, Peru. The Haryana star, whose shooting career was shaped in Jhajjar, Haryana – the boxing heartland – impressively edged past double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker in the 10m air pistol event to script history.
The twin gold medals claimed by the 18-year-old Haryana shooter and Bhaker’s two silver medals underlined India’s domination in the competition.
Suruchi, who claimed her maiden World Cup gold in the season’s inaugural global event recently, aggregated 243.6 in the 24-shot final, 1.3 points ahead of Bhaker. Meanwhile, China’s Yao Qianxun took the bronze.
Suruchi and Manu’s remarkable performances meant that India bagged one medal of each colour on the day. Earlier, Saurabh Chaudhary won bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol event.
The sensational display in the women’s 10m air pistol competition helped India ascend to the top of the standings with three medals, followed by China, which has won the men’s air pistol gold.
Who is Suruchi Singh?
Born in Jhajjar, Suruchi’s father Havildar Inder Singh wanted his daughter to become a wrestler like his illustrious cousin, Virender Singh aka “Goonga Pehalwan”, who has won multiple Deaflympic gold medals.
But Suruchi was not inclined towards wrestling, and her disinterest prompted Inder Singh to look for a sport that would help realise his daughter’s “true potential”.
When Suruchi was 13, she travelled to Bhiwani – the bastion of Indian boxing that has produced icons like Vijender Singh and Hawa Singh, to try her hand at shooting.
She first enrolled at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy, run by Suresh Singh and then practised at a shooting range run by Kargil war veteran Anil Jakhar in Sasroli village.
“I’ve read somewhere that Suruchi wanted to be a wrestler. Actually, it was my idea, seeing the exploits of my cousin ‘Goonga Pehalwan’ on the mat. He belongs to the same village as ours and has achieved glory in wrestling,” Inder Singh, whose sole focus has been shooting career of his daughter, told PTI.
Bhaker hails Suruchi
Meanwhile, Bhaker, who finished second-best behind Suruchi, hailed the success of Indian shooters and congratulated Suruchi on her second World Cup gold.
“I am happy to see more Indian shooters coming up and doing very well, especially at the international stage. It makes me really happy, and I feel India is going in the right direction.
“We all are familiar with Suruchi’s name. She did exceptionally well in Buenos Aires (World Cup) as well as here. So, I am really happy for her and I hope that this continues for a long time. And, along with the youngsters, I hope that I also keep the pace up,” added Manu.
Initially pushed to become a wrestler like her uncle, the then 13-year-old Suruchi Singh travelled to Bhiwani – the bastion of Indian boxing that has produced icons like Vijender Singh and Hawa Singh – to try her hand at shooting. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
