Law, order, and Olympic dreams: Inside IPS officer Ingit Singh’s shooting journey

On a quiet evening in Delhi, when most IPS officers are unwinding from the day’s grind, Ingit Pratap Singh changes into his shooting gear, walks into a self-built indoor range at his home, and begins his routine. For the next two hours, Ingit is not an administrator, not a law enforcer—he is simply an athlete, chasing a dream that began with a childhood gift and refuses to die down. “I was eight when my father gave me an air rifle. That’s when the sport chose me,” Singh recalled in an exclusive conversation with WION. The gift, handed down by his father, sparked a fascination that never left him, even through the pressures of an IPS career.

The dream that bent, not broke

Singh’s first ambition was the military. He had his eyes on the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, but health issues ended that path abruptly. For many, it would have been the closing chapter. For Singh, it was only a pause. The discipline of service found him in the IPS in 2011. But it was a posting in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that reignited what he had left behind. “There wasn’t much crime there, it was mostly administrative work. Being Director (sports) gave me time to reconnect with shooting,” he said. A makeshift practice range at home followed. Then came a second-hand air rifle in 2019.

In the years since, medals began arriving—silver at the Delhi State Championship, bronze at the World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg, and gold at the same Games in Birmingham, Alabama. Holding that medal for the first time, Singh shared, felt surreal. “That shiny disc in my hand… it was humbling, it was gratifying.”

Also Read: Asia Cup Final: Haris Rauf smiles and consoles PAK fan who screams ‘We want revenge against India’ in viral video

Living three lives in one day

How does a senior IPS officer, husband, and new father squeeze an athlete’s schedule into his day? Singh’s answer is deceptively simple: be present. “When I’m at work, I’m at work. When I’m with my family, I’m fully with them. And when I’m at the range, my focus is only on shooting,” he says.

On weekdays, that means eight hours at the office, mornings reserved for family and workouts, and evenings carved out for practice. On weekends, practice can stretch to six hours. “It’s not the quantity of time, it’s the quality,” he insists. The sacrifices, he admits, are not his alone. “For me, shooting is joy. But my family misses me when I’m away at the range. That’s the real trade-off.”

Coaches who treated him like a student, not an officer

Singh’s growth in shooting is closely tied to his mentors—Olympian Sanjeev Rajput, and coaches Suma Shirur and Smita Kamble. At Shirur’s academy in Panvel, Singh says, he was stripped of the aura of uniform and treated like any other student. “Suma ma’am even scolded me once, and I welcomed it. I didn’t want to be treated as an IPS officer. I wanted to be a learner.” The lessons—on breathing, posture, balance—stayed with him, scribbled in a diary. Today, they shape his technique and mindset. “Shooting is a process-driven sport. The results follow if you stay faithful to the process,” he says.

Replicating the pressure

A hundred shooters firing pellets in quick rhythm, the constant “ting, ting, ting” of shots hitting metal targets, the buzz of commentary and crowd murmurs—that’s the atmosphere of a live competition. Singh recreates it in his home range with a television playing Olympic finals. “I want the nerves to feel real, even in practice. So when I step into competition, I’m already prepared.”

Wired not to quit

Resilience runs through Singh’s story. From losing out on the army to facing setbacks in sport, quitting was never an option. “I’m wired differently. I don’t give up. It’s both a boon and a bane,” he admits. The strength, he says, comes from his family—parents, sister, wife, and now his eight-month-old daughter. “They’ve been my anchors. I know they’ll always support me, even without me asking.”

The road to Bhopal, and beyond

The immediate target is the National Shooting Championship in Bhopal this December. Singh must clear the Minimum Qualification Score to enter the Olympic trials. If he makes it, the road ahead will be grueling—four trials across early 2026 to decide India’s top 12 shooters.

“Shooting is one of those sports where age doesn’t matter. In 2016, a 50-year-old won Olympic gold in trap. So there’s no excuse for late starters. My advice? Don’t give up just because society says you’re late. Focus on your own path.”

For Singh, the medals already won are milestones, not the destination. “This sport chose me when I was a child. My journey isn’t finished until I bring something home from the Olympics," he signed off.