From a family synonymous with wrestling to becoming a junior world record holder and ISSF World Cup gold medallist, Suruchi is making her mark in shooting

The Phogat name has long been associated with wrestling. For Suruchi Inder Singh Phogat, however, the family sporting story is being written somewhere very different — on a shooting range, with a pistol in her hand and a target just 10 metres away.

Suruchi has never appeared interested in simply following a path laid out by others. From being a teenager travelling from Haryana to train to becoming a junior world record holder and a multiple ISSF World Cup gold medallist, her rise has been remarkably quick. Now, as she prepares for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, she is increasingly comfortable with the idea that her name can stand for something different within the Phogat sporting family.

And perhaps that is why there is little hesitation in her voice when she talks about competing alongside Manu Bhaker. Bhaker is an Olympic medallist and one of the most recognisable faces of Indian shooting. Yet Suruchi refuses to allow that status to become a psychological barrier. She admires Manu, but once the competition begins, admiration gives way to ambition.

“She is inspiring. And… there is no pressure. I want to become better than her,” Suruchi says.

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That sentence perhaps says more about her personality than any medal tally can. She is young, but she does not want to be treated as a youngster merely happy to share the firing line with an Olympic medallist. She wants to challenge the best — and eventually become better herself.

Their rivalry is not new. Suruchi has already beaten established names in Indian shooting, including Manu, on her rise through the sport.

In 2025, her breakthrough international season saw her emerge as one of the standout performers in women's 10m air pistol. Since then, her reputation has grown rapidly.

But for Suruchi, there is no complicated equation when she sees Manu on the range. “I only look at her as a competitor, always.”

It is a simple answer, but there is something powerful about it. Suruchi does not deny Manu's achievements. She simply refuses to let them define her own limits.

There is another important figure in her journey — Virender Singh, her uncle and someone whose sporting journey has provided inspiration and guidance. Suruchi says he has supported her in ways that go beyond the shooting range. “He helps me a lot. Mentally, physically.”

That support is part of a larger family environment that has helped Suruchi grow into an athlete capable of handling the demands of elite competition. Her parents and brother live with her and, she says, have played an important role in helping her become a better athlete.

“We live together, my parents and my brother are very helpful and all of them help me to be a better athlete.”

For a sport in which a fraction of a point can separate a champion from the rest, the strength behind the shooter can sometimes be invisible. There is the pistol, the target, the score and the medal — but behind all of it is a family that has travelled the journey with her.

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