Indian Grandmother, 78, be the world's oldest professional sharpshooter!
At 78, most pensioners are reliant on
the glasses to even read a newspaper. But not Indian grandmother Chandro Tomar.
With a £1,200 pistol in hand, and her sari
draped over her long silver hair, it’s believed she’s the world’s oldest
female professional sharpshooter.
Granny, get your gun: Indian grandmother Chandro
Tomar is, at 78, believed to be the world's oldest professional
sharpshooter.
She has entered and won over 25
national championships across India as well as raising six children and
15 grandchildren.
She
said: ‘I wanted to do something useful with my life and show people my
capabilities. As soon as, I
shot my first pistol I was hooked. And now I’ve shown everyone there’s
no disadvantages to my age. If you’re focused you can do anything.’
Almost ten years ago Chandro
took her granddaughter to a local firing range in Johri village, in
Uttar Pradesh, India.
She
wanted to learn a new skill but was too shy to go alone. In the end it was Chandro who was welcomed
into the club with open arms.
Sharp-eyed: Chandro takes aim. She has won over
over 25 national championships across India - as well as raising six
children and 15 grandchildren.
Crack shot: She took up the sport nearly ten
years ago after taking taking a few practice shots to pass the time
while taking her granddaughter down to a local shooting range.
‘As I was waiting around I
decided to have a go. The coach spotted me and was amazed at my aim,’
she said.
‘He told me to
come back so I did. Initially I was just supporting my granddaughter but
I enjoyed it so much it became a passion and I looked forward to going
to the club every week.’
While
Chandro tended to her daily chores on her farm and raised her family,
she practiced her aim whenever she could using stones and throwing them
at water bottles.
The
club’s coach, Farooq Pathan, who set up the shooting club with two
friends in 1998, said: 'I was surprised when I saw a pensioner in our
group but she picked it up pretty quickly. 'She was so good some of the men stopped
turning up altogether to avoid being humiliated by her, a old woman. She
has the ultimate skill, a steady hand and a sharp eye.'
And now she’s a national treasure, known
throughout India for her skill, even winning gold at the Veteran
Shooting Championship held in Chennai.
Concentration: Chandro takes aim at the local
firing range.
Multi-talented: The grandmother shows off her
prowess with a rifle
But her biggest fan is her
daughter Seema, who is also an international shooting star becoming the
first Indian woman to win a medal at the Rifle and Pistol World Cup.
'She is amazing,' she said. ‘If she can do it
then so can we. She showed us that anything is possible. She has helped
so many of us improve our lives. 'Many members of the club have gone on to even find jobs with
the military, and police force, because of her encouragement.’
Winner: Chandro at home with her many medals and awards
Chandro had an experience with
the police herself, proudly beating an officer at one competition.
She said: ‘I defeated the Deputy Inspector
General (DIG) of Delhi police. It was brilliant.'
But medals or no medals, life at home never
changes for Chandro and she still cooks, cleans and cares for her
family, making sure dinner is served before firing some bullets down at
her local range and helping to carve out future success stories from the
club.
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