'I was happy I won gold medal in Lima, not that I beat Manu Bhaker,' says teenage shooting sensation Suruchi Phogat

First Post

4 hours ago

At just 19, India's Suruchi Phogat has emerged as a shooting prodigy. After winning the nationals, she became the first Indian shooter to claim three consecutive World Cup gold medals. In this interview, Suruchi talks about her rapid rise, beating Manu Bhaker and more. read more
Prodigies are exceptional case studies, in any field. It's always so interesting to talk to and try to understand what is going on in the minds of people who take to something new like fish to water. It's like they were born to do just that. If you believe in destiny then you would say that 19-year-old Suruchi Phogat was born to be a shooting athlete. India is blessed with a number of teenage shooting prodigies, but Suruchi Phogat, in a very short period of time, has managed to carve out a very special niche for herself. And to think that she has just begun shooting at the senior international level, in World Cups.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Imagine being a Phogat in Haryana and going into sports. The obvious first choice is wrestling, right? It was the same with Suruchi. We all know about the celebrated Phogat sisters, who have made India proud on multiple global platforms. But it was another Indian wrestling hero – Virender Singh (who picked-up the nickname 'Goonga Pehelwan' and also had a documentary made on him, bearing the same name and has won 3 Deaflympics gold medals for India) who was the main wrestling inspiration_._ Virender is their neighbour in the village of Sasroli in the Jhajjar district of Haryana, and the one who inspired Suruchi's father, Inder Singh Phogat, to introduce his daughter to wrestling, at the age of 11.
More from Sports
Man City underline squad depth with 6-0 victory vs Al-Ain, reach FIFA Club World Cup knockout stage with Juventus
But there was something else written in the stars for Suruchi. A painful collarbone injury saw the young girl being sidelined for almost a year. It was after that that Inder Singh Phogat decided to take his daughter to a shooting range. Suruchi was 13 at the time and despite being scared initially by the rather loud sounds of the guns going off, she realised this was the sport for her. In her own words – 'it is a fair sport'. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In just about six years' time, since she first began training as a shooter, Suruchi has won multiple gold medals in the women's 10m Air Pistol event – in domestic as well as international events. Her rise has been nothing short of extraordinary, becoming the first Indian shooter to win three consecutive World Cup gold medals . This year, in the World Cups in Buenos Aires, Lima and Munich, Suruchi stood on the top of the podium in all three competitions, along with a gold (Lima World Cup) and a bronze (Buenos Aires World Cup) in the Mixed-Team 10m Air Pistol event.
In Lima, in the women's event, she beat double Olympic medallist and Indian shooting's poster girl, Manu Bhaker, who finished second behind the 19-year-old. In the Munich World Cup, recently, Suruchi (while clinching the gold in the 10m Air Pistol event) beat 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist in the women's 25m Air Pistol event, Camille Jedrzejewski of France.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Three Back to Back gold for India 🇮🇳
Suruchi Singh Phogat is Undefeated in 10m AP in 2025 What a talent she is at just 19 year old. pic.twitter.com/iyYHZMavEC — ई (@museofindia7) June 14, 2025
Suruchi is calm and composed and extremely consistent. She has been the standout shooter at the National level. She won the National Games gold in her pet event, as well as the selection trials, finishing on top in the qualification round, with a mind-boggling score of 586, beating the likes of Manu, Palak Gulia, who won the gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and Olympian Esha Singh. She won gold medals in the youth, junior and senior categories at the National Championships in Delhi, in December last year. Suruchi in fact has been shooting 585 rather consistently. She shot that score in three straight senior competitions in India. In the Munich World Cup, she shot 588 in qualification. For a quick comparison (though this does not prove anything concrete) - at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the highest qualification score in the women's 10m Air Pistol event was 582, shot by Veronika Major of Hungary.
Suruchi made her senior World Cup debut this year and in five World Cup event outings, so far, across individual and team events, she has five medals (four gold and one bronze). She has beaten the top Chinese shooters and has dominated seasoned shooters with almost effortless ease.
There's a reason why every shooting expert in the country is talking about her. She is most definitely a natural. In fact, Suruchi's rise has been so meteoric, that most experts have been forced to compare her with Manu Bhaker and other top shooters in the 10m women's Air Pistol field. Ask Suruchi herself though and she says she was only happy to win the gold and it doesn't matter who she beat enroute to it.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Suruchi's father, Inder Singh Phogat is an ex-Army Havildar and has instilled the quintessential armed forces' discipline and focussed routine in Suruchi. This 19-year-old is more mature than most kids her age. She likes to focus on only what she is doing and nothing else. Ask her about wanting to win an Olympic medal and pat comes the reply – 'abhi mera next goal mera next match hai, mein zyaada door ki nahin sochti hoon (right now my next goal is the next match I am going to play, I don't like to think very far ahead).' It wasn't surprising also to hear from her that she is unfazed by reputation and doesn't watch any other shooter's match or event.
At a time when another young Indian shooter who wowed the world a few years back, before fading away, Saurabh Chaudhary is also making a very promising comeback, Suruchi's achievements are an assurance of sorts of a very promising future for Indian shooting. The women's pool of 10m and 25m pistol shooters is in itself a very competitive one, with the likes of Manu, Suruchi, Rhythm Sangwan, Palak Gulia, Rahi Sarnobat etc. competing against each other.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Suruchi spoke to Firstpost in an exclusive interview – about her rise, how and why she doesn't feel pressure while she is at the firing point, beating Manu Bhaker at the Lima World Cup final, the role that her father and her coach – Mr. Suresh Singh, who was also Manu's first coach, has played in her career so far, how she is just focussed on what is coming up next and nothing else and much more.
Suruchi Singh had also won gold at Buenos Aires and Lima legs of ISSF World Cup earlier. Suruchi Phogat is coached by ex-serviceman Suresh Singh. Image: @DeoKalikesh on X
This young woman is not just talented and determined; she also has laser-sharp focus. Watch out for Suruchi Phogat. Someday, she could well rewrite Indian shooting history, much more than she already has.
Excerpts of an exclusive interview with Suruchi….
You recently said in an interview that you don't feel pressure while competing. So, what do you feel? What goes on in your head when you are at the shooting point?
Suruchi: When I compete, my mind is absolutely relaxed. There are no thoughts swirling around in my head about how I will do, whether I will shoot well or poorly, nothing. I stay completely free-minded. Some of it is natural and some of it is because of all the experience I have gathered so far from all the competitions that I have been to.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
You could have become a wrestler but instead chose shooting. How old were you when you decided to shift to shooting and what made you make that decision?
Suruchi: I was 13 years old when I thought that I should become a shooter. My father took me to a shooting range and I liked the sport. I saw what was an individual and a fair sport. So, I decided to pursue a career in sports shooting and began my training from there on, at the age of 13.
You began training as a shooter at the age of 13 at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani under coach Suresh Singh. I read that you would travel 100km a day by train. What do you remember about those days and how do you feel when you look at the World Cup medals you have won so far and think about those days at the Bhiwani Academy…
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Suruchi: When I think back to those days, I feel very happy. I feel satisfied about the hard work that I have put in and the fact that it's because of that hard work that I am getting the results that I am managing to secure these days.
Were you 100% sure from the very beginning that you wanted to be a pistol shooter, or did you maybe consider rifle or shotgun?
Suruchi: No, I always, from the very beginning, wanted to be a pistol shooter. I saw the rifles that are used in the sport for rifle shooting events also, but I thought the rifles were heavy and the overall equipment etc rather cumbersome. So, I knew that pistol shooting is what would suit me the most.
Every single World Cup you have participated in, you have been on the podium. 4 golds and a bronze this year in World Cups alone. You say you don't feel pressure, but surely a global competition must feel different to you than say shooting at the Nationals? Almost every athlete feels that. What goes on in your head when you are, say, at a World Cup event vis-à-vis a domestic competition?
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Suruchi: No, I really don't feel there is anything different between a domestic competition and a World Cup event. The shooting ranges of course are different at the World Cups, but we do get time and opportunity to train at these ranges before the competition, so we get used to these ranges also and nothing seems very different, as such.
Suruchi Phogat and Saurabh Chaudhary won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold medal at the Lima ISSF World Cup. Image: ISSF Official on X
You are the first Indian shooter to win three consecutive World Cup gold medals. So far in your career, which competition has been the toughest for you and why?
Suruchi: Tough or not tough is all in the head. I honestly haven't felt like the competition has been too tough, anywhere, so far. I can't recall any event where I felt like the competition was too tough. I have never thought that the competition is so tough, in any event so far, that I am under pressure.
In the Munich World Cup recently, you beat the Paris Olympics silver medallist Camille in the 10m Air Pistol final, enroute to the gold. Are you also unfazed by big names around you? Do you think about reputations etc or don't pay any attention to things like that at all?
Suruchi: Firstly, I never know anything, as such, about any other shooter at a competition, because I don't think about anything or anybody else except my own preparation and execution. I don't watch any other shooter's event or finals. And even if I find out something about a certain shooter's achievements or accomplishments after being introduced to them etc., their reputation doesn't make any difference to me or my game, because I can only control what is in my hands, which is my own game, nothing else. The other shooters will focus on their game, I will focus on mine. I just want to stay focused on my own target and my goals, absolutely nothing else.
Talking about reputations, you beat Manu Bhaker in the Lima World Cup final. Not surprisingly there have already been quite a few comparisons between you and Manu. Your take on beating the only Indian athlete to win two medals in a single Olympic edition since 1900? Did you feel anything extra special, because you managed to beat Manu in that final?
Suruchi: No, not at all. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary because Manu was also in that final, which I won. I was happy about the fact that I had won the gold medal, not that I beat Manu Bhaker.
You are only 19 years old. It's safe to say that you are a natural talent. But there must be facets of your game that you would want to work on, to improve further?
Suruchi: Yes, there are definitely some facets of my overall game which I need to work on further. There are some weaknesses in my game. Which is why when it comes to training, these are the aspects that I want to focus on the most and put in the most amount of hard work into, so that I can iron out the chinks in my armour.
Suruchi Phogat defeated Manu Bhaker at Lima World Cup to win 10m gold. Images: PTI
You won gold medals across senior, junior and youth categories at the National Championships in December-January, then won the gold at the National Games in February, beating Asian Games champion Palak Gulia and the experienced Rahi Sarnobat. Now you have three individual World Cup gold medals in one year already. How do you rate yourself in terms of improvement and your progression when you look at your short but very successful journey, so far?
Suruchi: I have definitely improved. No one really does very well right at the beginning, when they first start training. But I have improved and progressed quite a bit, quite fast, thanks to my parents and my coach. I have always put in a lot of hard work, but I have had their support and guidance always and that has been priceless. All the credit for where I am today goes to my mother, my father and my coach, Mr. Suresh Singh, who has trained me from the time I began my shooting journey, at the age of 13.
Talk to me a little bit about Mr. Suresh Singh and his style of coaching. He has been your coach from the time you began shooting. He is your guru. He was also Manu's first coach…
Suruchi: Suresh sir is an ex-Army man. He is a straight talker. Conversations with him are simple, natural and completely straightforward. There are no long-winded, convoluted conversations or instructions that come from him, ever. And I really like that about him.
Your father is also an ex-Army man. I am assuming it would be fair to say that the guidance, the advice, and also the love and affection that you get from your father is also completely straightforward and uncomplicated?
Suruchi: Yes, absolutely. And this facet of my father's personality has played a big role in my career so far.
What is your take on the incredible talent pool in Indian women's pistol shooting - in the 10m and 25m events, currently? There's Palak, Esha Singh, Rhythm Sangwan, you and of course Manu. It's a strong pool and the competition is also fierce, you would say?
Suruchi: Yes, that is absolutely correct. The women's competition in these two events in India is quite fierce and the Indian team therefore, is a very strong one. Indian female shooters are winning medals at the Olympics, the Asian Games etc. This is a correct assessment. There is a lot of healthy competition amongst all of us and we give each other mental strength as well.
Have you and Manu talked a lot about shooting and other things? Do you have many conversations when you are competing together?
Suruchi: No, we don't usually have any conversations, as such. Both of us focus on our individual games.
Olympics are coming up again in 2028 in Los Angeles. You will be 22 at that time. But if the next Olympics were next year, would you say you are at a level where you could win an Olympic medal?
Suruchi: I am not thinking about that. Right now, my next goal is the next competition I will be participating in, the next match I am going to play. I don't think too far ahead. Whatever lies next for me is my next target, my next goal, nothing else.
Tell me about the support that you have been getting from the federation – the NRAI. Are you fully satisfied with that?
Suruchi: The support from the NRAI has been very good. They send us for international competitions, they have ensured that the coaches for the National team are top-quality coaches, who give us great guidance and training at the National camps.