Shooting at Asian Games: Suruchi Singh’s rise from Bhiwani to world record | Asian Games 2026

India will look to improve on its tally of 107 medals from the Hangzhou Asian Games when it kick-starts its campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Shooting is expected to once again be among the country’s biggest medal contributors, having produced 22 medals in Hangzhou, or one-fifth of the total medals India won.

Among the names carrying India’s hopes in Japan will be Suruchi Inder Singh Phogat, who heads into the Games with the confidence that she has already established herself on the international stage.

At just 20, Suruchi has put together an impressive resume, with a junior world record, an ISSF World Cup Final title and multiple World Cup gold medals to her name. Her performances over the last two seasons have also propelled her into the upper tier of the women’s 10m air pistol event, making her one of India’s most promising medal prospects in Aichi-Nagoya.

Who is Suruchi Singh?

Born on April 28, 2006, in Sasroli village in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, Suruchi Inder Singh Phogat is an Indian sport shooter specialising in the women’s 10m air pistol event. She began training in shooting at the age of 13 at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani under coach Suresh Singh.

Suruchi comes from a family with sporting connections, with her father, Havildar Inder Singh, initially encouraging her to take up wrestling. She eventually chose shooting and quickly developed into one of India’s most promising young shooters.

Her international breakthrough came in the junior ranks before she established herself on the senior ISSF circuit. She enjoyed a spectacular 2025 season, winning three consecutive individual World Cup gold medals in Buenos Aires, Munich and Lima. She also won mixed-team gold in Lima and went on to claim the ISSF World Cup Final title in Doha.

Her Doha performance produced one of the biggest milestones of her career as she shot 245.1 in the final to set the junior world record in the women’s 10m air pistol event. She also holds an Indian national record of 588 in the event.

Suruchi has continued that momentum into 2026, winning another World Cup gold in Munich and a silver medal in the mixed-team event at the Asian Championships in New Delhi. She is now ranked third in the 10m air pistol shooters’ rankings and has secured a direct berth at the 2026 ISSF World Cup Final in Rome.

Full list of medals won by Suruchi Singh:

Process in focus for Suruchi

The Asian Games will offer Suruchi an opportunity to turn her rapid rise on the global circuit into success on the continental stage. Yet, despite the expectations that come with her recent performances, the 20-year-old is determined not to become consumed by the prospect of a medal.

For Suruchi, the priority is controlling the elements within her reach. That mindset comes from an understanding of what makes shooting such a demanding sport. The stillness of the firing line can be misleading; behind every shot is a battle to control concentration, breathing and emotions while dealing with the pressure of competition.

“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 said.

A rapid rise through the ranks

Suruchi’s journey in shooting began at 13, when she started training at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani. Her progress was initially gradual as she developed her technique and gained experience through junior competitions.

Her path was also shaped by the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. With normal training routines affected, she continued practising at a makeshift range, ensuring that her development did not come to a complete halt.

Looking back, Suruchi believes choosing an individual sport ultimately gave her the opportunity to build something of her own.

“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.”

That sense of individual responsibility has remained a defining part of her approach. In shooting, there is no teammate who can compensate for a poor shot, making an athlete’s ability to analyse and correct their own mistakes particularly important.

Learning from failure as much as success

In Suruchi’s words, progress has not been measured solely by the number of medals she has won.

She views every competition as an opportunity to identify what went wrong and improve before the next one. That approach has helped her deal with the inevitable setbacks that accompany a career at the highest level.

“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 results of that approach became increasingly visible during the 2025 season.

Suruchi’s three consecutive individual World Cup victories in Buenos Aires, Munich and Lima marked a major breakthrough. She then carried that momentum into the World Cup Final in Doha, where she won the individual title and produced her junior world-record score of 245.1.

The season also included mixed-team gold in Lima and a bronze in Buenos Aires, further underlining her growing consistency across different formats.

From breakthrough to consistency

The biggest question after a breakthrough season is whether an athlete can reproduce that level of performance. Suruchi has offered a strong answer in 2026.

She won another individual 10m air pistol gold at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, qualifying with a score of 578 before scoring 242.1 in the final to secure the top spot.

She also produced a strong showing at the 2026 Asian Championships in New Delhi, winning silver in the 10m air pistol mixed-team event alongside Samrat Rana and finishing fourth in the individual women’s event.

The results have strengthened her position among the leading shooters in the world and earned her a direct place at the 2026 ISSF World Cup Final in Rome.

For a shooter still only 20, the consistency is perhaps as significant as the individual titles. Her success is no longer confined to one breakthrough tournament; she has continued to produce results across the international calendar.

The support system behind the rise

While Suruchi’s results have made her the face of her own success story, she credits the wider support structure around Indian shooting with helping her develop into a more disciplined athlete.

According to Suruchi, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), along with its coaching set-up and camps, has played an important role in her preparation for international competitions.

“NRAI has given me much more than just the opportunity to compete. The coaches and camps have changed the way I train, prepare and understand my game. I have become a much more disciplined athlete because of that support.”

For Suruchi, however, the most important aspect of that support is the understanding developed between the shooter and her coaches over time.

“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.”

That familiarity can be crucial in a sport where the smallest technical or mental adjustment can have a significant impact on performance, she added.

Asian Games present another test

The 2026 Asian Games will be another important marker in Suruchi’s development. She will arrive in Aichi-Nagoya with significantly more international experience than she had at the start of her senior career, along with the confidence that comes from winning at World Cup level. But the young shooter is refusing to let her recent success change the way she approaches competition.

Rather than thinking about the medal before she steps onto the range, Suruchi wants to focus on executing each shot and giving herself the best possible chance of producing her best performance.

“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.”