Eighteen-year-old Suruchi Inder Singh has firmly stamped her authority on the international shooting stage, clinching her second consecutive gold medal in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Lima. With a phenomenal final score of 243.6, the young prodigy from Jhajjar, Haryana, outshot Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, who settled for silver with 242.3, in a dramatic all-Indian finish that shook the leaderboard on the opening day.
The rising star not only extended her blistering form from Buenos Aires—where she also stood atop the podium—but also showcased nerves of steel as she battled through a high-pressure final, asserting her dominance against a field of international veterans and emerging as India’s new shooting sensation.
India opened its Lima campaign with a resounding performance, collecting a complete set of medals—gold, silver, and bronze—all in pistol events. Alongside Suruchi’s gold and Manu’s silver, Saurabh Chaudhary, another prominent name in Indian shooting, bagged bronze in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol, marking his return to the ISSF World Cup podium after a two-year drought in individual events.
The trio’s combined effort pushed India to the top of the medal standings, ahead of China, whose only top podium finish of the day came through Hu Kai in the men’s pistol category.
While the Lima event witnessed several nail-biting moments, it was the all-Indian showdown between Suruchi and Manu that captivated the audience. Manu, with her rich experience and 15 ISSF World Cup medals under her belt, was the clear favourite. Yet it was Suruchi—still new to the global spotlight—who delivered when it mattered the most.
After a tense qualification round where Suruchi shot 582 to secure second position and Manu followed closely in fourth with 578, the finals turned into a tactical and psychological duel.
Suruchi, staying composed under pressure, climbed up the ranks steadily after the initial five-shot series. With Yao Qianxun of China taking an early lead and Uruguay’s Julieta Jimenez briefly staying in medal contention, the Indian duo kept their cool. As others faltered, particularly China’s Meng Yufei, the Indians surged ahead.
By the 13th shot, Suruchi had seized the lead, with Manu not far behind. Manu’s pair of mid-to-low 9s in the 16th and 17th rounds, however, turned costly. Suruchi, in contrast, maintained consistency with precision shooting that culminated in her 1.3-point lead over her senior compatriot in the final tally.
Suruchi’s back-to-back gold medals in Buenos Aires and Lima now place her as one of the brightest prospects in Indian shooting. What makes her meteoric rise even more striking is that she had no World Cup medals until the beginning of this month. With her latest win, she now boasts three—two individual golds and a mixed team bronze with Saurabh Chaudhary.
The teenager’s ascent began at the national championships in December and has since translated into a dominant international presence. Her tactical maturity, laser focus, and poise under pressure belie her age, setting her apart from seasoned competitors.
Meanwhile, the men’s 10m air pistol final featured a thrilling contest where Hu Kai of China dominated with a near world record score of 246.4, falling just 0.1 points short of the all-time high set by DPR Korea’s Kim Song Guk in 2019. Brazil’s Felipe Almeida Wu secured silver with 241.0, while India’s Saurabh Chaudhary clinched bronze, marking his 14th World Cup medal and signalling a much-awaited comeback.
His duel with cousin Varun Tomar, who also made the final, was a battle of precision and resilience, but it was Chaudhary who held firm in the medal shootout.
