India has a new talent in shooting—19-year-old Suruchi Singh. With impressive back-to-back gold medals at the ISSF World Cups and a standout performance at the National Games, she’s emerging as a serious competitor to two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker.

Dominating the ISSF World Cup

At the ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru, Suruchi had an unforgettable run. She won two gold medals—one in the 10m air pistol individual event and the other in the mixed team category with fellow shooter Saurabh Chaudhary. In the individual final, she beat Manu Bhaker by scoring 243.6 points, just 1.3 points ahead of her. China's Yao Qianxun took the bronze. Later, in the mixed team event, Suruchi and Chaudhary outclassed China’s Qianxun Yao and Kai Hu with a 17-9 victory. This was her second straight World Cup individual gold. She had earlier claimed her first title in Argentina earlier this year. Suruchi shared her dreams and motivation: “I love winning gold medals and always try to improve myself. I don’t compete with others, only with myself. This is just the beginning of World Cup golds. If I can do in finals what I do in practice, then Olympic gold will not be far,” she said.

A Champion from Haryana

Suruchi hails from Sisroli village in Jhajjar district, Haryana, a region known for producing top athletes. She caught everyone’s attention in 2023 when she bagged six gold medals in the 10m air pistol event across the youth, junior, and senior categories at the National Shooting Championships. She scored an impressive 585 points, a score that puts her among the best in the world.

Expert Praise from the Shooting Community

Shimon Sharif, a former national shooter and current coach, believes Suruchi is already at an elite level. In an interview with Firstpost, he said: “I don’t want to name any star athlete, because everyone knows the stars. But, one name that you should keep in mind is that of an athlete called Suruchi. She has been registering some really high scores. She shot a 585 at the Nationals, where she won both the youth, junior and senior gold medals in the 10m Air Pistol,” Sharif noted. He added that she has consistently scored around 585–586 in various events, which is on par with Olympic-standard performances: “There was another competition, which wasn’t organised by the NRAI, where she performed extremely well, registering the same score – 585. Then in the (selection) trials, she shot very well again, shooting around 586 (in qualification round),” he added.

Eyes on Olympic Gold

With consistent scores and a determined mindset, Suruchi Singh is now being seen as India’s top medal hope in future international competitions, including the Olympics. Her journey has just begun, but she’s already showing signs of becoming a future champion on the global stage.