From The Shooting Range to Public Service-Avneet Kaur Sidhu opened a new path for Punjab's Daughters.....by Sukhminder Bhangoo

A Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Beijing Olympian and senior Punjab Police officer — Avneet Kaur Sidhu’s journey is a story of courage, discipline and relentless hard work.

Punjab has produced countless sporting legends for India, but some names go beyond medals and create a pathway for generations to follow. Avneet Kaur Sidhu is one such inspiring name. After carrying India’s flag onto the international sporting stage, the daughter of Punjab went on to establish a distinct identity in the police service as well.

From Dasmesh Girls College, Badal to the Olympics

Avneet studied at St. Joseph’s Convent School in Bathinda and around 2000 became associated with Dasmesh Girls College, Badal. According to information from the college, it was here that she got the opportunity to take up competitive shooting.

The shooting facilities established at the college opened a new door for girls from rural areas, and Avneet became one of the brightest success stories to emerge from that system.

Interestingly, shooting initially entered her life as a hobby. Gradually, the hobby turned into passion, and she eventually made it her career. A 2008 report stated that she progressed from the college shooting facilities through inter-college, university, national championship and National Games competitions before reaching the international stage.

Melbourne 2006 — A Golden Chapter

The most memorable chapter of Avneet Kaur Sidhu’s sporting career came at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

There, partnering Tejaswini Sawant, she won the gold medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Pairs event. She also won an individual silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle.

Both medals are recorded in the Indian Olympic Association’s records.

The achievement was about much more than two medals. It gave girls across Punjab the confidence that a daughter from rural Punjab could represent India on the world stage.

A Medal at the Doha Asian Games

Avneet also won a medal for India at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

In the women’s 10m Air Rifle team event, the Indian team comprising Avneet Kaur Sidhu, Tejaswini Sawant and Suma Shirur won the bronze medal. ISSF records also list Avneet’s fifth-place finish in the individual 10m Air Rifle event.

Her success at both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games established her among Punjab’s prominent women shooters of that era.

Olympic Qualification Through Zagreb

The 2006 World Shooting Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, marked another important milestone in her career.

Her performance helped India secure a quota place for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At Beijing, she represented India in both the women’s 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions events.

Although she did not win a medal in Beijing, qualifying for the Olympics itself was a major achievement for a woman shooter from Punjab at that time.

According to official records, she finished 39th in the 10m Air Rifle and 42nd in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions.

A Career Filled with Honours

Avneet’s achievements were recognised by both the Government of India and the Punjab Government.

She was among the recipients of the Arjuna Award for 2007, which was presented by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on 29 August 2008.

She was also honoured with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award by the Punjab Government. Her sporting career includes several national and international medals.

The Same Sporting Spirit in Police Uniform

After her international sporting career, Avneet chose the path of public service.

She joined the Punjab Police as a DSP and subsequently rose to the rank of SP. In 2020, she was promoted as Superintendent of Police.

In February 2023, she was appointed SSP Fazilka. Before that, she had served as SSP Malerkotla.

After her Fazilka posting, she was appointed Commandant of the 27th Battalion PAP, Jalandhar, in July 2023.

She is now serving as AIG/CID, Bathinda.

Medals Continued to Come in Police Competitions

Rather than moving away from sport, Avneet continued to demonstrate her shooting ability while serving in the police.

She won gold medals at the All India Police Shooting Championships in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

At the 2017 World Police and Fire Games in Los Angeles, she won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

In 2018, at the All India Police Shooting Championship in Indore, she won two silver medals.

A Family Connected to Sport

Avneet Kaur Sidhu is married to former captain of the Indian hockey team, Rajpal Singh.

Since both are associated with sport, they understand each other’s professional challenges particularly well. According to reports, the two met during a camp in Pune in 2009 and later got married. They have a daughter.

It is a remarkable sporting family — on one side, a former captain of Indian hockey, and on the other, an Olympian shooter.

Coaches and Supporters — A Complete System, Not One Individual

It would not be accurate to attribute Avneet’s success to a single coach or individual.

Dasmesh Girls College itself highlights the contribution of its teachers, coaches and support staff to her development. The college’s shooting range and facilities available to girls from rural areas were important parts of her journey.

At that time, choosing shooting as a career was not easy for women in Punjab. Expensive equipment, high-level coaching, regular practice and travel for competitions were all significant challenges.

The shooting facilities established at Dasmesh Girls College in Badal helped reduce some of these barriers.

Memorable Milestones

The 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medal remains one of the biggest highlights of her career.

Along with the individual silver, the Doha Asian Games bronze, her participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Arjuna Award, these achievements give her sporting career a distinctive place.

Her second innings in public service — rising to positions such as SP and SSP — added another significant chapter to her journey.

In 2023, as SSP Fazilka, she became one of the women officers to lead a border district of Punjab.

The Real Message of Avneet’s Journey

Avneet Kaur Sidhu’s story is not merely a list of medals.

It is the story of a journey in which a college student’s hobby grew into a passion that took her to the Olympic stage, and the same discipline eventually guided her into police service.

A medal for the country on the sporting field, representation of the Tricolour at the Olympics and public service in police uniform — Avneet Kaur Sidhu stands among Punjab’s daughters who have shown that dreams can begin in small towns and villages, but there is no limit to how far they can fly.