Chandro Tomar

Chandro Tomar,[1] nicknamed Shooter Dadi ('Dadi' meaning "grandmother" in Hindi),[2][3] is an octogenarian sharp shooter from the village of Johri in the Bagpat district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[2]

Chandro Tomar sister of prakaashi tomar
Personal information
Nickname(s)Shooter Dadi (Shooter Grandmother)
Nationality India
CitizenshipIndian
Born (1932-01-01) 1 January 1932
Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, India

Since learning to shoot in 1999 when she was already in her 60s, she has attained national fame as an accomplished shooter, having won more than 30 national championships. She is referred to as the oldest (woman) sharpshooter in the world.[4][5][6]

Biography

Tomar is illiterate but a learner when it comes to sharpshooting and basic English. Initially her husband neither opposed nor supported her shooting sports, who now proudly encourages her along with the whole family.[3]

Tomar has five children and twelve grandchildren.[7] 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]

She attends the club once a week for shooting practice and otherwise attends to her household chores of cooking, cleaning, tending to cattle and feeding her large family. After dinner is served, she takes up shooting practice at her private range.

Shooting runs in the family as noted from the fact that her niece Seema Tomar, also a sharp shooter, was the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Rifle and Pistol World Cup in 2010. Her grand daughter, 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 Prakashi Tomar for advising them.[6]

Since 1999, Tomar has competed in and won 25 national championships throughout India. She won a gold medal at the Veteran Shooting Championship conducted in Chennai.[8] Her success has encouraged the local people to take up shooting as a useful sporting profession, including her granddaughters.[9]

See also
  • Prakashi Tomar, the second oldest female shooter from the same village

References
  1. "Chandro Tomar, World's oldest professional sharpshooter". Ministry of Women and Child Development. 15 July 2015.
  2. "Chandro Tomar-oldest women sharpshooter". History TV18. 23 October 2016.
  3. Shooter Dadi: The Story of an Octogenarian Who’s Breaking All Barriers With Her Awesome Aim, The Better India.
  4. "Indian grandma 'world's oldest women sharpshooter' at 78". Daily News and Analysis. 23 March 2012.
  5. "Modern Indian Women: The Pioneers". Dadi Chandro, the sharpshooting grandmother. Ministry of External Affairs.
  6. "Chandro Tomar, 78-Year-Old Indian Grandmother, May Be World's Oldest Sharpshooter". The Huffington Post. 25 March 2012.
  7. Hrylova, Tatyana. "Chandro Tomar, Who Shoots and Doesnʼt Miss". The Age of Happiness. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  8. Haleem, Suhail (11 July 2011). "India's sharp-shooter granny fighting male domination". BBC News.
  9. "At 78, Chandro Tomar guns for glory". The Times of India. 25 June 2012.
  10. "Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar to Play World's Oldest Sharpshooters Chandro Tomar & Prakashi Tomar". News18. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
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