Chandro Tomar[1] (10 January 1932 – 30 April 2021)[2][3] was an Indian octogenarian sharpshooter from the village of Johri in the Bagpat district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[2]
Chandro Tomar | |||||||
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| Born | 10 January 1932 Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, India | ||||||
| Died | 30 April 2021 (aged 89) Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India | ||||||
| Other names | Shooter Dadi (Shooter Grandma) | ||||||
| Occupation | Sharpshooter | ||||||
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Since learning to shoot in 1999 when she was already in her 60s, she had attained national fame as an accomplished shooter, having won more than 30 national championships. She was referred to as the oldest (woman) sharpshooter in the world[4][5][6] and a "feminist icon."[7] Uttar Pradesh government named Noida Shooting Range and a road in her home Jat village after her.
Biography
editTomar never attended school and married at age 15.[7] She was over age 65 when she began her sharpshooting career, and was derided and laughed at when she first began attending professional competitions.[7] Tomar recalled her husband and his brothers at first being angry and opposed to her participation in competitions, but she decided to continue.[7] Her daughter and granddaughter joined the shooting team, and Tomar encouraged other families to allow their daughters to join.[7]
Tomar has five children and twelve grandchildren.[8] She began learning to shoot by chance, when her granddaughter Shefali wanted to learn how to shoot at Johri Rifle Club. Her granddaughter was shy to go alone to an all-boys shooting club. and wanted her grandmother to accompany her. At the range, Tomar took a pistol when her granddaughter could not load it and she started shooting at a target. Her first shot resulted in bull's eye hit. The club coach, Farooq Pathan, was surprised to see her shoot so skillfully. He suggested she join the club and get trained to become a shooter, which Tomar did. Her trainer commented: "She has the ultimate skill, a steady hand and a sharp eye."[6]
In 2021, Tomar told The New York Times that her strength and agility is from "All the household chores I used to do from a young age, like grinding the wheat by hand, milking the cows, cutting the grass, It's important to stay active. Your body might grow old, but keep your mind sharp."[7]
Her niece Seema Tomar, also a sharpshooter, was the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Rifle and Pistol World Cup in 2010. Her granddaughter, Shefali Tomar, achieved international shooter status and has taken part in international competitions in Hungary and Germany; both of them credit Tomar for the positive encouragement provided and praised her sister in law Prakashi Tomar for advising them.[6]
From 1999 on, Tomar competed in and won over 25 state and larger championships throughout India.[7] She won a gold medal at the Veteran Shooting Championship conducted in Chennai.[9] Her success has encouraged the local people to take up shooting as a useful sporting profession, including her granddaughters.[10] Tomar died from COVID-19 on 30 April 2021, at the age of 89.[11]
In popular culture
edit- Saand Ki Aankh (2019) — a biopic movie starring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar.[12][7]
See also
edit- Prakashi Tomar, the second-oldest female shooter from the same village
References
edit- ^ "Chandro Tomar, World's oldest professional sharpshooter". Ministry of Women and Child Development. 15 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Chandro Tomar-oldest women sharpshooter". History TV18. 23 October 2016.
- ^ Shooter Dadi: The Story of an Octogenarian Who's Breaking All Barriers With Her Awesome Aim, The Better India.
- ^ "Indian grandma 'world's oldest women sharpshooter' at 78". Daily News and Analysis. 23 March 2012.
- ^ "Modern Indian Women: The Pioneers". Dadi Chandro, the sharpshooting grandmother. Ministry of External Affairs.
- ^ a b c "Chandro Tomar, 78-Year-Old Indian Grandmother, May Be World's Oldest Sharpshooter". The Huffington Post. 25 March 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bhagat, Shalini Venugopal (19 March 2021). "An 89-Year-Old Sharpshooter Takes Aim at India's Patriarchy". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ Hrylova, Tatyana. "Chandro Tomar, Who Shoots and Doesnʼt Miss". The Age of Happiness. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ Haleem, Suhail (11 July 2011). "India's sharp-shooter granny fighting male domination". BBC News.
- ^ "At 78, Chandro Tomar guns for glory". The Times of India. 25 June 2012.
- ^ 'Shooter dadi' Chandro Tomar dies after contracting COVID-19
- ^ "Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar to Play World's Oldest Sharpshooters Chandro Tomar & Prakashi Tomar". News18. Retrieved 11 July 2019.