New Delhi, Aug. 26 -- When Suruchi Inder Singh Phogat first picked up a pistol at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani, she wasn't chasing world records. She was a 13-year-old from Sasroli village in Haryana's Jhajjar district, travelling there by local train with her father and brothers, with no jersey and no name in the sport.

Seven years later, the 20-year-old is a junior world record holder, a multiple ISSF World Cup gold medallist, and one of India's brightest medal hopes heading into the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, according to a release.

Her journey, however, has been built on quiet transformation rather than instant stardom.

"When I started shooting, nobody knew me. I was just a normal 13-year-old girl who didn't e...