Chandro Tomar

Prakashi Tomar is an octogenarian and sharp shooter from the village of Johri in the Bagpat district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. She is also known as "Dadi prakashi" ('Dadi' meaning: "grandmother" in Hindi). Since learning to shoot in 2002, she has attained national fame as an accomplished shooter, having won more than 25 national championships. She is regularly referred to as the oldest (woman) sharpshooter in the world.

Biography

Tomar has eight children and 18 grandchildren. She began learning to shoot by chance, when her granddaughter wanted to learn how to shoot at Johri Rifle Club. Her granddaughter was scared to go alone and wanted her grandmother to accompany her. At the range, Tomar took a pistol and start shooting at a target. 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." prakashi owns a pistol costing £1,200; she shoots wearing her conventional village attire, with a sari covering her head that she tucks if the wind disrupts it.

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 daughter Seema, also a sharp shooter, was the first Indian woman to win a medal at the shotgun World Cup in 2010. Her grand daughter Ruby tomar had achieved an international shooter status and taken part in international competitions in Hungary and Germany; both of them credit Tomar for the positive encouragement provided and praised her for advising them.

After two years of training she entered a competition in which she had to compete against the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Delhi Police. She won the contest but the DIG refused to be photographed with Tomar, and reportedly commented: "What photograph, I have been humiliated by a woman".

Since 2002, prakashi has competed in and won 25 national championships throughout India. She won a gold medal at the Veteran Shooting Championship conducted in Chennai. Her success has encouraged the local people to take up shooting as a useful sporting profession, including her granddaughters.