Suruchi enters big league with WC gold

Suruchi Phogat has been unstoppable this domestic season.

- Avishek Roy

NEW DELHI: The 18-year-old pistol shooter had swept all three individual titles (senior, junior and youth) at the National Championships and backed it up with gold at the National Games. Manu Bhaker had a similar meteoric rise at the 2017 National Championships in Kerala when she defeated some big names of Indian shooting to announce her arrival. Comparison with the double Olympics medallist, therefore, was inevitable.

As she took aim at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires, Suruchi's performance was being keenly watched. On Tuesday, she proved herself on the international stage, winning her first World Cup gold with a commanding performance. Manu was also in the fray but could not qualify for the eight-shooter final, finishing 13th (574 points). Suruchi topped the qualification (583 points).