Why should you know about HEENA SIDHU ?

You might have heard about Dipa Karmakar as the first Indian women gymnast to be qualified for Olympics. But it’s a similar feat of triumph by a girl named Heena Sidhu. In a cricket dominated country, very few might have heard about Heena Sidhu. But irrespective of any attention, she shoots her way to victories. Here is a glance at her life and attitude!

A supportive family
Born in Ludhiana (Punjab), Heena was mesmerised by the arms held by her uncle who is a dealer in guns. Her father Rajbir Sidhu who is a shooter himself has supported her wish to become a shooter. He along with her uncle was the first to teach her the basics of shooting.

Sticking to the basics
Heena had her initial lessons at her home. Her father arranged for a shooting range for Heena and her uncle taught her to tune the equipment to their perfection. From Patiala club to the World championships, Heena never missed a chance to prove her talent.

Reaching the heights
By 2013, Heena became the first Indian to win a gold medal in 10 metre Air Pistol event in World cup for shooting. And that wasn’t the end of her victory. She became the first Indian Pistol shooter to be ranked as no.1 by International shooting sport federation (ISSF). She was also the first Indian to find a place on the cover page of the magazine run by ISSF.

A journey together
In 2013, Heena got married with Ronak Pandit. It isn’t mere chance that Ronak is a national shooter. He is a gold medallist in commonwealth games. Now, Ronak is not just a husband to Heena. He is now her coach as well as her manager.

Not just a shooter
Can someone expect a shooter to be a Dental Surgeon? But Heena is! Despite being a professional shooter, Heena never neglected her studies. She completed her graduation in BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) in the year 2013. And that’s not all! Heena loves painting and poetry too!

2016- Rio Olympics
Olympics are not new for Heena. She represented the Indian squad in 2012 London Olympics... but finished at 12th place in the qualification round. But she is not the kind of a person who would step back with a few failures. She performed consistently thereafter to claim her berth in the coming Olympics being held in Rio of Brazil. With a great performance at the Asia Olympic Qualifiers held in New Delhi this January, she captured the gold medal in 10m Air Pistol along with a place in Rio Olympics.

- Nirjara