Pistol shooter Suruchi Inder Singh Phogat, 20, has gone from an unknown teenager from Sasroli village in Haryana's Jhajjar district to one of India's leading medal prospects at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya — a journey she describes as the truest measure of how far she has travelled. Seven years ago, she arrived at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani by local train with her father and brothers, without a jersey or a sponsor. Today, she is a junior world record holder and a multiple ISSF World Cup gold medallist.

An Unlikely Beginning

Suruchi was 13 years old when she first picked up a pistol — not out of calculated ambition, but almost by chance. 'When I started shooting, nobody knew me. I was just a normal 13-year-old girl who didn't even have an Indian jersey. Today, wearing that jersey is something I'm genuinely proud of. For me, it represents how far I have come,' she said, reflecting on those early days in Bhiwani.

She credits the sport itself with shaping her path. 'I'm actually thankful that I came into shooting. If I had chosen another sport, especially a team sport, maybe I wouldn't have reached this far. Shooting gave me the chance to build something on my own, and I'm happy with where that has taken me.'

The Hidden Demands of the Sport

Suruchi is candid about the misconceptions surrounding competitive shooting. 'People look at shooting and think, 'What is so difficult? You just have to stand and shoot.' They don't see what is happening inside you. Controlling your thoughts, your breathing and your emotions while every shot matters — that is the real challenge,' she explained.

That inner discipline also shapes how she processes setbacks. 'A medal is not the only thing I take away from a competition. If I don't win, I look for the mistake. Maybe my technique was wrong, maybe something was missing. I find it, learn from it and come back better. That is how I improve.'

The Role of NRAI Support

Suruchi attributes much of her steady rise to the framework built by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). 'NRAI has given me much more than just the opportunity to compete. The coaches, camps have changed the way I train, prepare and understand my game. I have become a much more disciplined athlete because of that support,' she said.

She values the continuity of coaching relationships above infrastructure. 'The biggest advantage is that our coaches know us closely. They see us train, they understand our game and they know when something is not right. So when we reach a competition, they are not trying to understand us for the first time; they already know what we need.'

A Season of Landmark Results

The numbers back her confidence. Suruchi closed the 2025 season by setting a junior world record at the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha. She carried that form into 2026, winning a mixed team silver alongside Samrat Rana at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship in New Delhi. She then delivered a historic one-two finish with Esha Singh in the women's 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, a performance that also earned her an automatic berth at the World Cup Final in Rome later this year.

Asian Games Mindset

With the Asian Games approaching, Suruchi says she is deliberately blocking out outcome anxiety. 'At the Asian Games, I don't want to think about what the result will be. I just want to fight for every shot, give my 100 per cent and leave the range knowing I gave everything I had for that medal,' she said. Her trajectory — quiet, consistent, and built on self-correction — suggests India's medal hopes in the 10m air pistol event are well-placed.