'Shooter Dadi' Chandro Tomar contracts COVID-19, admitted to hospital

New Delhi: Octogenarian shooter Chandro Tomar, nicknamed ‘Shooter Dadi’, has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted to a hospital due to difficulty in breathing. The Twitter page of the 89-year-old legendary shooter, hailing from the Baghpat village in Uttar Pradesh, posted the development. “Dadi Chandro Tomar has tested positive for coronavirus and has been admitted to a hospital due to a breathing problem. God protect all - Family,” a tweet on her page read.

दादी चंद्रो तोमर कोरोना पॉज़िटिव हैं और साँस की परेशानी के चलते हॉस्पिटल में भर्ती हैं । ईश्वर सबकी रक्षा करे - परिवार

— Dadi Chandro Tomar Memorial (@realshooterdadi) April 26, 2021

Chandro was already 60-plus when she picked up the gun for the first time but went on to win many national competitions, even inspiring a Bollywood movie on her. She is believed to be the oldest woman sharpshooter in the world. She took part in several competitions along with her sister Prakashi Tomar, also one of the oldest female sharpshooters in the world. Prakashi also featured in the movie inspired by their lives, during which they broke all kinds of stereotypes, including battling patriarchy. While the men at home objected to their shooting, they were helped by their sons, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters as they would quietly sneak out of the house to practice the sport in a nearby range. Once she got hooked on to the sport, there was no looking back as she went on to win medals at numerous competitions, all coming when Chandro was well into her 60s. Shooter Dadi won many awards in the senior citizen category including Stri Shakti Sanman presented by the President of India. She had picked up a rifle by chance, after a younger member in the family expressed her interest in enrolling herself at a newly-built shooting range in their village. Accompanying their daughter to the range, one day they picked up the gun, pulled the trigger, took a shot, and impressed the coach in range. India reported over 3.23 lakh new COVID cases and 2,771 deaths since Monday.