Meet Suruchi Phogat, the 19-year-old shooter emerging as India's new hope
Suruchi Phogat, a 19-year-old Indian shooter, secured her third consecutive ISSF World Cup gold in Munich, triumphing over France's Camille Jedrzejewski in the 10m air pistol event. Phogat's impressive 10.5 score on her penultimate shot sealed the victory, adding to her previous wins in Buenos Aires and Lima. This win establishes her as a rising star in Indian shooting.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
After Manu Bhaker made headlines by becoming the first Indian shooter to win two Olympics medals in Paris last year, the country has found a new top gun in 19-year-old Suruchi Phogat Phogat secured her third consecutive ISSF World Cup gold in the 10m air pistol event in Munich on Friday, narrowly beating Paris Olympics silver medallist Camille Jedrzejewski (241.9-241.7).China's Qianxun Yao finished with the bronze (221.7).Phogat was trailing by 0.5 going into the final two shots but surged forward with a decisive 10.5 to win. She previously secured back-to-back golds in Buenos Aires and Lima, edging out compatriot Manu Bhaker in the Peru final.Phogat was also a key part of India's 10m air pistol mixed team, which won a bronze in Buenos Aires and a gold in Lima. She has maintained a remarkable record of making the podium in every World Cup event she has entered."This third successive gold medal is the toughest of all as it was a high-and-low final for me and taught me a lot of things," Phogat told the Indian Express. "Things did not work my way midway in the final. I guess my hands were a bit tired... I had to make some adjustments and I'm glad to win this title here in Munich."India's chief pistol coach Samresh Jung said Phogat's tough final will help her grow mentally. "Shooters have to go through every phase and it should have taught her a lot of things," Jung told the Indian Express."In the second series, she only had one bad shot and did not drop much in terms of other four shots and the same with the elimination shot," Jung added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
31 minutes ago
- Hans India
China's young artistic swimmers make a splash at home World Cup
With the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final having concluded in Xi'an on Sunday, host China dominated, winning seven of 11 events. China secured the team acrobatic title in the final discipline, adding to a silver and bronze medal won earlier in the day, reports Xinhua. Reigning Olympic champions in both duet and team events, China's team has been in a transitional period since the 2024 Paris Olympics, with veteran and younger athletes working together. Rising star Xu Huiyan, 19, has established herself as one to watch with exceptional technical skills and remarkable consistency. The teenager delivered a spectacular performance in Xi'an, claiming five gold medals from six events entered. After winning the women's solo technical and duet technical over the previous two days, Xu took a bronze in the solo free on Sunday and was also in China's winning line-up across three team events. The tight schedule tested her endurance. "The intensity of this competition was quite high for me, with a packed schedule from morning till night," she revealed. "With better stamina, I could have controlled my movements and techniques more precisely and stayed more focused. But when my energy runs low, like today, it really affects my performance." Her coach, Shen Yingsha, had initially been concerned about Xu's stamina, given this was her first time competing in multiple events, "Her performance exceeded expectations," said Shen. In the final, Vasilina Khandoshka scored 229.8476 to win the women's solo free, while Germany's Klara Bleyer came second in 227.5688. Xu placed third in 226.5251. Having started artistic swimming at seven, Xu loves the sport, and has prepared extensively for next month's World Championships. "During regular training, I practice for about eight to nine hours daily. If the session doesn't go well, I may extend it to ten hours," she said. On Saturday, Xu partnered with Lin Yanjun to win the women's duet technical event despite having only trained together for three weeks. Their dynamic routine earned an outstanding 289.6150 points, 8.1841 points ahead of Japan's decorated duo Moe Higa and Tomoka Sato. The new pairing was a strategic decision by head coach Zhang Xiaohuan, who led China to Olympic success last year in Paris. "We're testing different duet configurations before locking in our final pairs - it keeps everyone sharp and motivated through healthy competition," Zhang explained. The veteran coach sees even greater potential in Xu. "As one of China's top artistic swimmers, Huiyan can still elevate her performance, particularly in achieving more fluid extensions and refining the delicate precision of her leg movements. She has the potential to be even better." The 22-year-old Lin sisters, Yanjun and Yanhan, later reunited to claim gold in the duet free event. China won the duet event at the Paris Olympics thanks to twin sisters Wang Qianyi and Wang Liuyi, who did not compete in Xi'an. "Compared to Qianyi and Liuyi, we have so many things to improve," admitted Lin Yanjun. "We are still not as good as them." China's dominance extended to all three team events, where a balanced squad featuring four Olympic veterans and four newcomers delivered consistently strong performances. Their Terracotta Army-inspired routine in the team acrobatic on Sunday earned them 233.0430 points for the gold medal. Spain and Mexico ranked second and third respectively. "They are fantastic," said Zhang. "Both the veteran swimmers and the young swimmers performed very well. I'm very happy about the three team gold medals." The men's artistic swimming also caught spotlight with 17-year-old Guo Muye continuing his rapid ascent. Guo started artistic swimming at eight and his idol is China's famed artistic swimmer Shi Haoyu, two time mixed duet world champion with partner Cheng Wentao. "I was selected by coaches while training in competitive swimming," Guo recalled. "At that time, there were very few men practicing artistic swimming. My family gave me big support." Guo's family traveled from Beijing to Xi'an to cheer him on. "My father, aunt, uncle and little sister are all here supporting me," said Guo, whose twin brother, Guo Muxi, is also an artistic swimmer. Guo claimed one gold and three silvers in Xi'an, including victory in the men's solo free. On Sunday, he and Liu Jinhan secured the mixed duet free silver with 275.0896, over 15 points behind Spain's duo Dennis Gonzalez and Iris Tio, who won the discipline with 290.2184. Showing self-awareness, Guo acknowledged areas for growth. "My strength lies in the smooth execution of technical elements, but I still need to improve my artistic expression, which remains a weaker area," he said. Zhang expressed satisfaction with the younger swimmers' performances but added that there was much still to improve on. "We've identified weaknesses but also potential. Going forward, we'll focus on strengthening team cohesion and perfecting our synchronized execution," she said. "Competing at home in this pre-worlds event has given us much confidence - the perfect warm-up before the world championships," the coach added.
Indian Express
32 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Italy call on Gennaro Gattuso as manager after sacking Luciano Spalletti
Former footballer Gennaro Gattuso has been handed the reins of the Italian football team after the national federation sacked Luciano Spalletti earlier this month. The former midfielder, who made a name for himself for his hard-tackles, will have to steer the Italian team's ship out of choppy waters as they seek to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. It's a task made much harder by Italy being handed a 0-3 thumping by Norway. Italy trail Norway by nine points in their FIFA World Cup qualifying group. To their credit, they have played two matches fewer than the group leaders rom Scandinavia. After the defeat to Norway, Italy had managed to beat Moldova 2-0. But that game turned out to be Spalletti's final match in charge with the national team. The Italians have won the FIFA World Cup four times in history of the competition, but have failed to qualify for the last two editions. 'Gattuso is a symbol of Italian football, the blue shirt is like a second skin for him,' Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said. 'His motivation, his professionalism and his experience will be fundamental to best face the national team's next matches. Aware of the importance of the objective we want to achieve, I thank him for the willingness and total dedication with which he accepted this challenge.' The Italian federation said that the coach will be 'presented officially on Thursday, 19 June, at Hotel Parco dei Principi in Rome.' The 47-year-old Gattuso has made 73 appearances for Italy. He was a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad, one of the four times the nation won the most prestigious trophy in football. Until recently, he was at the helm at Croatia's Hajduk Split. He left the club by mutual consent, after a third-placed finish in the Croatian top flight. Gattuso has extensive experience of coaching in football clubs like AC Milan, Napoli, Valencia and Marseille, among others. It must be noted that Gattuso's only trophy as a coach was the Italian Cup title he claimed while at the helm in Napoli in 2010. The Associated Press reported that Gattuso was not the Italian federation's first choice to replace Spalletti. That would be Claudio Ranieri, who turned down the offer. Gattuso's first match as Italy coach will be at home to Estonia on September 5. (With inputs from AP, Reuters)
Indian Express
32 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Temba Bavuma's never-give-up mantra on batting at Lord's with injury: ‘I went against advice from management, willing to deal with consequences'
When the moment arrived, it must have been truly overwhelming for every South African cricket fan. Even more so if you happened to be at Lord's – the venue where South Africa finally became world champions on Sunday, beating Australia in the World Test Championship Final. Tears overflowed. Former players choked up on air. Their all-time greats celebrated the moment as if it was their own, from the stands to the broadcast centre. Yet, when the camera panned to the balcony, their captain, Temba Bavuma sat with his head buried in his hands. For someone who played second fiddle to Aiden Markram in that historic chase and sat back and watched, he watched history being made from the front seat of the Lord's balcony. It was as if Bavuma was oblivious to what was happening around him. Not even when he received the loudest cheers that anyone received on the day, which came after his name was called at the presentation ceremony. Not even lifting the ICC Mace, after overcoming all the adversities, brought out any over-the-top jubilation. Personally, it was a high point too, from being South Africa's first black captain to now the country's first-ever major ICC world trophy-winning leader. 'For me, it was that moment there to be recognised more than just a Black African cricketer, but to be seen as someone who's done something that the country has wanted,' he said in the post-match press conference. 'So I think that's something that I'll definitely walk around with my chest out. And again, I can hope that it inspires, it continues to inspire our country.' Growing up at Langa, a township in Cape Town, nothing has come easy for Bavuma. He has played street cricket on roads named after venues he and his friends have heard on television, and here he was sitting at Lord's with the WTC medal decorating him. 'I never pictured myself playing here at Lord's. I could only fantasise about it. That's what was really reachable for us. Being captain, that was never a dream of mine. And now to have this opportunity, now to be in this position where you have won the mace for that country. I don't think you really can write those type of stories,' Bavuma said. When the WTC cycle was at the halfway stage, South Africa were nowhere in the picture to qualify for the final at Lord's. The team that seemed to perennially attract the 'chokers' tag, particularly in ICC events, would turn things around in style. They would win 8 on the bounce, including the final, the most consecutive wins for any team since the WTC came into play in 2019. And right through the cycle, leading the run-charts for Proteas was the man himself, who scored 711 runs in 13 innings with two centuries and five fifties, including the one in the final. But as has been the case, he has seldom received credit for it. In the final at Lord's, he battled a hamstring injury, a familiar foe of his, just as he did during the 2023 World Cup semi-final and was crucified for it. At Tea on Day 3, he was advised not to walk out with Markram, but nothing could stop him. 'I didn't want to think of another option. I didn't want to consider myself not being there with Aiden. It was a key moment within the game. I wasn't at 100% fitness but I felt that I was good enough to still do the job. It was a tough decision. I can't not think of the 2023 World Cup where it was a similar type of incident. But it was me backing my gut. I went against advice from management and I was willing to take whatever comes with it. It was very much an instinctive call, very much an egotistical call but I was happy to deal with whatever consequence that came with it,' Bavuma added. Maybe facing such consequences in the past had only made him tougher. In his years growing up in Langa, and as part of South Africa's cricket ecosystem, he has seen the likes of Hansie Cronje, Shaun Pollock, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers trip over hurdles to bring home a world title. In 2023, he was at Eden Gardens when they lost in the semifinals. In 2024, he saw his teammates led by Markram squander a winning position at Bridgetown. 'It hasn't been easy. It's not easy being captain of South Africa,' Bavuma said of his journey. 'And, you know, I guess all the sacrifices, all the disappointment at that moment… it feels worth it, you know, when you're going through it all, giving up is always an option. It's always there. It's always there at the back of your mind, but something kind of holds you on.'
