New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) Havildar Inder Singh wanted his daughter Suruchi to become a wrestler, captivated by the popularity and aura of his illustrious cousin, Virender Singh aka "Goonga Pehalwan", who is an inspiration with multiple Deaflympic gold medals. But Suruchi wasn't really enthused by the idea, prompting the ambitious father to look for a sport that would do justice to his daughter's "true potential". Also Read | Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Free Live Streaming Online: How To Watch DC vs RR Indian Premier League T20 Cricket Match Live Telecast on TV?. The eureka moment came when the then 13-year-old travelled to Bhiwani, that famed cradle of Indian boxing that has produced stalwarts like Vijender Singh and Hawa Singh, to try her hand at shooting. She was enrolled at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy, run by a little known coach Suresh Singh. Also Read | IPL 2025: Nehal Wadhera Credits Ricky Ponting and Shreyas Iyer for Punjab Kings' Historic Win Over Kolkata Knight Riders. Cut to Tuesday, the now 18-year-old from Jhajjar pushed double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker to silver in the women's 10m air pistol event in Lima, Peru, winning her second consecutive gold medal at the ISSF World Cup. She is now one of the most promising faces on the shooting scene. "I've read somewhere that Suruchi wanted to be wrestler. Actually, it was my idea, seeing the exploits of my cousin 'Goonga Pehalwan' on the mat. He belongs to the same village as ours and has achieved glory in wrestling," said Inder, who after taking retirement from the Army, focused solely on the shooting career of his daughter. "Since childhood, she wanted to do well in shooting and that is what has brought her this far," added Inder, who ensured Suruchi's practice continued even during the tough COVID-19 phase. It was all thanks to a shooting range in their village Sasroli. The facility that was run by Kargil war veteran Anil Jakhar, was very close to their house and came as a blessing in disguise when Suruchi had to halt her Bhiwani sojourns due to the pandemic. "I remember the day Suruchi's father brought her to my range (the Kargil Shooting Academy). Their house is a stone's throw for my academy. Her father was very committed. "He wanted Suruchi to be an accomplished shooter like Manu Bhaker," recalled Jakhar, who suffered grievous injuries during the Kargil war. He eventually moved to the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow (Indore) after which he retired and opened the shooting range. "I have trained her for a long time. In fact, Manu has also trained with me," said Jakhar proudly. "When Suruchi came to me in 2019, she was around 12-13 years old. She got into the Indian team when she was training at the academy and competed in a couple of junior international events," he says. After the pandemic ended, Suruchi resumed training in Bhiwani. "Suruchi has worked really hard and has our full backing. I was her first coach, after which Suresh in Bhiwani has been guiding her," said Inder, while also acknowledging the assistance that Jakhar provided during COVID-19. "During that tough phase, when all the the academies were closed, this was the closest to our house... It was in the village so she could continue with her training unhindered," he added. With the 18-year-old shooter beating a tough field, including Manu and several top shooters in the world, is it time for Suruchi to start dreaming about the ultimate glory of the Olympics? "I believe that if she has worked so hard, she will definitely get rewarded... taste the fruits of success. Every child dreams of Olympic, Commonwealth and Asian Games glory," said her father. "At the end of the day she remains grounded, which is a good thing. Doing household chores, working on the farm... she only knows working hard and concentrating on her studies and shooting." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)