New Delhi: In a season where she experienced multiple highs, Suruchi Phogat doesn’t blink when picking her best performance. It came while shooting gold and a world junior record at the World Cup Finals in Doha – a moment when she truly felt in the zone. “I was in such a good rhythm that I just didn’t bother about my scores. I was in a flow and wanted to keep going. It felt so good. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
The joy was greater as she had completed her dream of shooting a world record. The Doha performance also helped her get over the disappointing result at the World Championships, where she could not qualify for the final.
For someone who was the talk of international shooting this season as she swept the first three World Cup stages — she did not compete in the last stage in China — Suruchi no doubt has emerged as a special talent. This year will be as big as it gets and it is going to be a test for her skills and temperament. First, the Asian Games and then the ISSF World Championships, offering quota places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will be particularly important. Suruchi has her eyes fixed on both, but wants to take gradual steps with more patience in her approach.
“It’s an interesting year. I have to do better than 2025 and keep improving with every tournament. I think what I have learnt from last year is that a bit of patience is required in my shooting. Even when I am doing well, I cannot be over confident,” Suruchi tells HT.
“When I competed in the first World Cup in April, I felt some nerves. It was my first international season and I thought I will have to do as well as I have done in domestic competitions. But then I was able to handle the pressure and perform. Then the two matches went bad, but overall it was a very good experience. I have learnt so much.”
The lessons were learnt from the World Championships and Asian Championships – the two back-to-back events where her qualification scores dipped to 577 and 574 respectively. But Suruchi doesn’t carry scars.
Last month, she was quick to bounce back at the ISSF WCF in Doha, shooting a high of 586 in the qualification and then won the title, beating teammate and 2023 World Junior Champion Sainyam and reigning world champion from China Yao Qianxun, who took bronze. That has restored her confidence and it showed the way she shot in the two selection trials.
On Sunday, she topped the qualification (T2) with a brilliant 587, way ahead then the rest of the field. In the first trials on Saturday, she was in second place (580) in the qualification behind Sainyam (581) and won the final (242.4) leading from start-to-finish in a solid showing.
The big scores have helped her maintain her No.1 position in the highly competitive domestic rankings (583.58 being her average of latest four scores) ahead of Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker (avg 581.68), who skipped the air pistol trials but showed her consistency in 25m sports pistol, and World Championships bronze medallist (25m) Esha Singh (avg 580.08).
Suruchi might be unconventional in the way she shoots fast but national pistol coach Samresh Jung says she is mentally tough. He has asked her to take more time to fire her shots, especially after she hits a low score. She is fast enough to finish a match of 60-shot qualification (one hour 15 minutes) in 30 minutes. So much so that even Chinese shooters have kept an eye on her.
“I feel if I delay my shot, my scores come down. But now I am going to take a little more time and rest my hand like Samresh sir has advised me.”
It was not always so. When she started shooting in 2023 Suruchi used to take her time but something changed in 2023. “I would finish my matches with just 10-15 seconds left on the clock and it used to give me a lot of stress. In a selection trial in Bhopal, I was barely able to close out my match. Then I decided that I need to shoot fast. I saw improvement in my score and never stopped. Now I am trying to find a middle way.”
A change in her approach is also needed because of pain in her elbow. “It started last year in April, and I have been doing regular physiotherapy sessions that have helped in recovery. “
