After Manu Bhaker, India find new prospect in teenaged top gun Suruchi Phogat

UPDATED Jun 14, 2025, 03:16 PM

Thanks for sharing!

NEW DELHI – After Manu Bhaker became the first Indian shooter to win two medals at the same Olympics in Paris last summer, the country seems to have unearthed a new talent in 19-year-old Suruchi Phogat, who won her third consecutive ISSF World Cup gold in Munich on June 13.

Phogat (241.9) edged out Paris Olympics silver medallist Camille Jedrzejewski (241.7) of France in a nail-biting finish of the 10m air pistol event to maintain her unbeaten streak this season.

China’s Qianxun Yao won bronze with 221.7.

“I am happy but not surprised by my win. I think this is what we train for, to win gold medals,” Phogat said in the Times of India.

When asked if there was any pressure on her after the first two successful editions of the World Cup, she added: “Fortunately, I don’t take pressure of winning medals at all. I have people around me who try to keep me away from the pressure.

“All I do is train and focus on each shot as that will help me improve. I don’t think about the results.”

Phogat was trailing Jedrzejewski by 0.5 going into the final two shots and the Indian surged ahead with a tremendous 10.5, which proved decisive in the end.

She won back-to-back World Cup golds in Buenos Aires and Lima, edging out compatriot Bhaker in the final in Peru.

Phogat was also part of India’s 10 metre air pistol mixed team, which won the bronze in Buenos Aires and the gold in Lima.

She now possesses an enviable record of making the podium in every World Cup event she has taken part in.

“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 would emerge mentally stronger from such an intense final.

“Shooters have to go through every phase and it should have taught her a lot of things,” Jung told the same newspaper.

“It’s great. Good for Suruchi and good for her confidence. Finals could have been better but then things like this happen. 

“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.” REUTERS

More on this Topic

Join  ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Thanks for sharing!