From Shooting Range to Police Service: Avneet Kaur Sidhu’s journey inspires Punjab’s daughters
By Sukhminder Bhangoo
Chandigarh, September 30, 2026: From winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal to representing India at the Beijing Olympics and later taking up public service in the Punjab Police, Avneet Kaur Sidhu has built a career spanning elite sport and law enforcement.
A shooter from Bathinda, Sidhu began her competitive shooting journey at Dasmesh Girls College, Badal, before rising to the international stage. She went on to win medals at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
From Dasmesh Girls College to the International Stage
Sidhu studied at St Joseph’s Convent School in Bathinda and began her shooting career at Dasmesh Girls College, Badal, in the early 2000s. Available biographical records state that she initially took up shooting as an interest before pursuing it competitively.
The facilities at the college provided her an opportunity to train and compete, eventually taking her from university-level competitions to national and international events.
Melbourne 2006: Commonwealth Games Gold
The biggest breakthrough of Sidhu’s sporting career came at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Partnering Tejaswini Sawant, she won gold in the women’s 10m Air Rifle Pairs event. She also won an individual silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle.
The Melbourne results established Sidhu among India’s leading women shooters of the period.
Asian Games Bronze in Doha
Sidhu also represented India at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle team event alongside Tejaswini Sawant and Suma Shirur.
Her performances in 2006 marked a significant year in her international shooting career.
Olympic Qualification and Beijing 2008
Another major milestone came at the 2006 World Shooting Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, where Sidhu secured an Olympic quota place for India.
She subsequently represented India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in both the women’s 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions events.
She finished 39th in the 10m Air Rifle and 42nd in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.
Arjuna Award and Other Honours
Sidhu’s sporting achievements were recognised with the Arjuna Award for 2007, which was presented to her by then President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on August 29, 2008.
She was also a recipient of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award from the Punjab Government.
From Sport to Public Service
After her international sporting career, Sidhu entered the Punjab Police and rose through the ranks.
She served as Superintendent of Police and subsequently as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). In February 2023, she was transferred as SSP Fazilka from SSP Malerkotla.
In July 2023, she was appointed Commandant of the 27th Battalion, Punjab Armed Police (PAP), Jalandhar.
She later served in the Punjab Police’s intelligence and counter-intelligence setup. Recent reports identify her as AIG, Counter Intelligence, Bathinda.
Continuing Her Association with Shooting
Even after joining the police, Sidhu remained associated with competitive shooting.
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.
Her achievements demonstrate that her transition from international sport to policing did not mark the end of her association with shooting.
A Sporting Family
Sidhu is married to former Indian hockey captain Rajpal Singh, and the couple have a daughter.
The two come from different sporting disciplines but share experience of competing at the highest level of Indian sport.
Sidhu’s journey represents two distinct phases of public service — first as an international athlete representing India and later as a police officer serving in Punjab.
Her career began at a college shooting range and took her to the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympic Games before she moved into policing.
For young women in Punjab, her journey offers an example of how sporting opportunities, sustained training and professional discipline can open pathways well beyond the playing