From Wrestling Dreams to Shooting Glory: Suruchi Phogat Secures Gold in 10m Pistol Mixed Team at KIYG 2023

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Chennai, Jan 24: Even before the birth of Suruchi Phogat, her father Inder Singh had already decided to mould her into a wrestler, inspired by the renowned Phogat sisters, despite having no familial relation.

However, destiny had other plans for her, as a collar bone injury forced her out of wrestling, leading Suruchi to explore the realm of shooting. KIYG Medal Tally

On Tuesday (January 23), Suruchi, in partnership with Samrat Rana, secured the gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team category at the 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023, held at the Guru Nanak College Shooting range.

Expressing his joy, Inder remarked, "She is born to play sports. Although I wanted her to become a wrestler, she ended up at the shooting range. I like shooting because I am a retired serviceman and can also help her with the sport."

Suruchi initiated her journey in shooting at the age of 13 and currently undergoes training at the Guru Dronacharya Academy in Bhiwani under coach Suresh Singh. Having secured a silver medal in the same event at the previous edition of the Khelo India Youth Games in Madhya Pradesh, Suruchi has demonstrated significant improvement.

Her recent achievements include winning silver in the women's 10m air pistol team event at the 2023 Suhl Junior World Cup, bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, and silver at the 2023 Asian Championships in Korea.

Despite the success, Suruchi is not content with just one gold in Chennai and is eyeing the individual event on January 25. She is determined not to return empty-handed, recalling her lack of success in the last edition where she did not qualify for the final.

The ongoing 6th Khelo India Youth Games 2023 in Tamil Nadu, from January 19-31, marks the first time the Games are being held in South India. The event spans four cities: Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, and Coimbatore, with over 5600 athletes participating in 26 sporting disciplines across 15 venues.

Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, has been introduced as a demo sport for the first time. The Games aim to promote sports and were initiated in 2016 as part of the Khelo India mission, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and managed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

About Sports for All (SFA), India's largest tech-enabled multi-sport grassroots competition platform, founded by Rishikesh Joshi and Vishwas Choksi in 2015, focuses on transforming and mobilizing school sporting championships. The platform, SFAPLAY.COM, utilizes technology and data analytics to empower and connect all stakeholders in the grassroots sports ecosystem.