"I'm thrilled my hard work has paid off": Suruchi Singh on becoming world No. 1 in 10m air pistol

Jhajjar (Haryana) [India], September 20 (ANI): After claiming the top spot in women's 10m air pistol rankings, 19-year-old Suruchi Singh attributed her success to hard work and parents' support, while urging youth to balance sports with studies.
Singh, who made her senior international debut earlier this year, accumulated 4162 points to achieve the No. 1 ranking in the 10m air pistol category. She recently won two bronze medals in 10m air pistol mixed and women's team events at the Asian Shooting Championship 2025, continuing her red-hot form.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "I'm thrilled that my practice and hard work have paid off, and this is the result of my parents' hard work. Getting here has been incredibly difficult, as I live in a small village and take a train every day to train. I'd like to tell the youth to definitely choose a sport along with their studies. If our district has a good shooting range, even more good athletes will come out. I urge the government to provide a good shooting range in our district."
This year, she has also won the 10m air pistol individual gold medals in all three ISSF World Cups at Munich, Lima and Buenos Aires. She also clinched the gold in the mixed team event of 10m air pistol at Lima, marking a breakthrough year on the senior circuit.
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, who won the 10m air pistol individual bronze at the Asian Shooting Championship 2025, is ranked sixth in the category with 1988 points.
In the 25m air pistol rankings, Manu Bhaker is in fourth spot with 1800 points ahead of compatriot Esha Singh, who is in sixth position with 1512 points.
Olympian Sift Kaur Samra, the 50m rifle 3 positions gold medallist in the Asian Shooting Championships last month, moved up to second in the category with 3034 points, while Ashi Chouksey is 10th (1277). (ANI)