HELLO! India Exclusive: Nothing can stop Rajeshwari Kumari from shooting for gold

It’s a chilly December morning in Delhi. The city has yet to wake up to the day’s hustle and bustle. Amid this quietude, we’re introduced to Rajeshwari Kumari in her family home in South Delhi’s Mehrauli neighbourhood. Seated comfortably before the mirror, as she gets ready for HELLO!’s photo shoot, she greets us with a warm smile, enough to set the tone for both the interview and the day — breezy, comforting, warm and full of easy laughter.

Fondly referred to as Ria, this award-winning Olympian trap shooter, is unassuming and grounded. That she belongs to the Patiala royal family is something she wears on her sleeve with quiet pride, yet speaks of with an endearing nonchalance.

The fourth-generation athlete is aware she has big boots to fill. One of the most memorable moments in her career as a trap shooter was when she competed in the women’s trap event in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, two years after she won silver at the event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

“Since childhood, I would tell my father I wanted to do exactly what he did,” laughs Ria, as she pulls out two framed photographs — one is a black-and-white image of her father, Randhir Singh, receiving a silver medal from his own dad, Bhalindra Singh, at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi; the other captures a full circle moment of Ria herself being felicitated with the same honour by her father in Hangzhou. “The best thing about trap shooting is that I share it with my father,” she smiles, telling us about her upcoming marriage to fellow trap shooter, Kynan Chenai, as she slips into a fuschia pink saree from her wardrobe. “We were best friends for almost a decade and have been playing together even before we decided to tie the knot.”

EARNING A LEGACY

For Ria, athletics isn’t just sports; it’s a legacy passed on like a precious heirloom through generations. Her great-grandfather, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, and grandfather Bhalindra Singh were both celebrated cricketers. Her father Radhir — an Olympian shooter and the first Indian to be elected president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in 2024 — cemented it on the world stage.

Yet, Ria is quick to dispel any notion of inherited ease. “I thought it was all in my genes,” she says. “I assumed I would be good from day one.” But reality had other plans. When they started out, her father hit every target; Ria missed almost all. “I thought it would come as easy to me as my father but it really did not,” she says, laughing now, but aware of how formative those moments were. Despite their family history, Ria didn’t start training as early as one would expect — she began shooting only at 20, quite late by athletic standards.

“Loud noises unsettled me as a child. I’d cover my ears during Diwali. It took time, till one day, I just decided — let’s do it,” says Ria, walking us through her “hall of fame,” the room that houses all the medals and trophies her family has earned. “When you’re on the station, everything else just disappears. The noise, the distractions, whatever’s been weighing on your mind. It’s just you, the call, the target, and the shot. For a few seconds, you’re completely present."

NO SHORTCUTS TO SUCCESS

If royalty offers privilege, sport, she believes, offers grounding. “Sport humbles you. It takes you completely out of your comfort zone,” says Ria, for whom discipline came with sacrifice. “I missed three close friends’ weddings in one year. I missed family moments. I missed a lot of life.” “Before every competition, we go to the gurdwara. You surrender and say, ‘You handle it.’ That’s one of the best teachings I’ve learnt from my family.”

ROYALTY, REIMAGINED

So what does it mean to come from a royal lineage today? For Ria, royalty isn’t about power — it’s about continuity, responsibility, and dignity. “It’s a privilege,” she says, pausing to articulate herself. “To be part of such a large family with a rich history.” Growing up, her friends knew her background, but it was never a spectacle. She has fond memories of the annual Christmas ritual at the royal Patiala home. “The adults would all gather together, sing, dance and play, while us kids would run around the place.”

EN ROUTE TO BETTER REPRESENTATION

When Ria began training, there were barely nine female shooters across two squads. She’s been witness to the change that’s happened over the years. “There’s been a massive shift. More women in sport, more equality, and more visibility.” She credits this change to the rise of role models and moments that shifted collective belief — like Abhinav Bindra’s historic Olympic gold. “I watched him win live! That was such a turning point for me. It made me think perhaps I could do this, too.” Abhinav, in fact, later became one of her mentors, part of a strong support system she values deeply.

For Ria, her own standout moments include her Asian Games medal — made infinitely more meaningful because of her father — and the World Championship, where she secured her Olympic quota. A memorable moment that, she says, “changed everything.

THE FATHER-DAUGHTER BOND

Contrary to popular assumption, her father Randhir never coached Ria in the sport. “We decided very early on that wouldn’t happen,” she smiles. “He has his ideas, I have mine.” Though he was always present. Always. And at her domestic competitions, especially in Delhi, he would stand in a particular spot with his group. “Whenever he watched from there, I performed really well. This one time, I even broke the national record. After that, I told him he’d have to be there for every event!”

At the Paris Olympics, Randhir, unsurprisingly, was there — this time as an OCA member. Ria remembers waving frantically at her parents during the closing ceremony. “Later, my mom told me how emotional my father was. He said he finally understood what his own father must have felt while watching him.”

BEYOND MEDALS

Today, Ria channels her Olympic learnings into entrepreneurship. Her wellness startup, Ziist Supplements, was born from all the experimentation she did during training, be it with magnesium oils, and essential blends, or sleep rituals, and the like. “I remember thinking how all of this would’ve helped had they already existed earlier.” Now live and undergoing a revamp, the brand is crafted towards reflecting a softer side of the athlete, one focussed on recovery, rest, and balance.

AT HER CORE

Away from medals and microphones, Ria believes she’s quite deep in her thinking. She loves the word cosy, books, quiet corners, spirituality, and stillness. “I know people might not think I’m easy,” she laughs. “My family definitely doesn’t!” But there’s a gentleness to her presence — a woman shaped by pressure, yet not hardened by it. When she steps away from competition and public life, that’s who remains: a reader, a thinker, a spiritual soul, steady, precise, and quietly proud.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NISHANT SHARMA
HAIR & MAKEUP: MUSKAN CHHAPARIA

This story was featured in the Vol 1. Issue 6 of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.