Suruchi SinghHeeding one's parents and following the path they show—this is a quintessential part of Indian culture and the country's centuries-old traditions. In India, children often progress and achieve success by acting on their parents' advice; this trend has become particularly prevalent in the realm of sports.
This pattern has been observed across various disciplines, from cricket and badminton to hockey and athletics. However, 20-year-old shooter Suruchi Singh chose a different path one that ultimately led her to an Asian Games gold medal.
Suruchi Singh and her father, Inder Singh, will remember the morning of September 25, 2026, forever. The time that morning differed between Jhajjar, Haryana, and Aichi-Nagoya.
It was set to be Suruchi’s final day at the 2026 Asian Games taking place in that Japanese city, and with it, her last chance to prove herself at the event. She had faced disappointment just about 48 hours earlier.
A Record-Breaking Gold Medal in the Final Event
Just as a wrestler might hoist an opponent high into the air and flip them to score five points bringing themselves to the brink of victory Suruchi delivered a performance in the final match that mirrored this intensity, fully vindicating the decision to field her.
Teaming up with Kamaljit to win the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, Suruchi brought India a significant success and a sense of relief at the 2026 Asian Games.
India had faced severe disappointment in both men's and women's pistol shooting events over the previous two days. Suruchi, too, had been part of those earlier efforts but had failed to secure a medal. Friday marked the final pistol shooting event at the Asian Games, and Suruchi, teaming up with Kamaljeet, turned it into a memorable occasion.
The duo secured the top spot in the qualifiers with a score of 587 points and went on to win the gold medal in the final with a new Asian record of 484.6, thereby salvaging the nation's pride in the sport.
Defied Her Father, Yet Became a Champion
Wrestling is mentioned in Suruchi's story because, had her father had his way or had she listened to him she would have been honing her skills on the wrestling mat instead of the shooting range.
In fact, her father, Inder Singh—a Haryana Police employee—had wanted her to take up wrestling, given the sport's immense popularity in Jhajjar and the surrounding regions. Furthermore, one of Inder Singh's cousins was a renowned wrestler who had won multiple medals at the Deaflympics.
However, Suruchi fell in love with shooting and decided to pursue a career in that sport. She began training at a shooting academy in Bhiwani at the age of just 13 and continued to progress. Then, the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe.
Consequently, Suruchi had to practice at a makeshift range set up at her home in Jhajjar. Since then, the young shooter has consistently scaled new heights. In 2025, she won a gold medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup by defeating her senior, Manu Bhaker. Now, by winning gold at the Asian Games as well, she has fully vindicated her decision to choose shooting.
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