When growing up, Udhayveer Sidhu and his younger twin brother Vijayveer often watched videos of Christian Reitz, the Rio Olympics 25m pistol champion. Years later, he edged out his idol to win his maiden World Cup title in 10m air pistol in Cairo. Beside them, Vijayveer was furiously clicking photographs of Reitz patting his brother.After the final, the fanboy in Udhayveer surfaced. “Vijayveer and I have grown up idolising Christian Reitz sir and watching his videos on YouTube. When I won the gold, I congratulated and told him that it’s the 46th international medal and that it’s my first medal at the senior level,” he tells The Indian Express from Cairo.“He told me that his maiden senior international medal too was a gold at the ISSF World Cup (Rio 2008). It’s the best compliment of my shooting career,” he says.The twins grew up in Mansa in Punjab with their father Gurpreet Singh Sidhu, an assistant education officer. In 2013, he got them a 10m air pistol to train. “When we started, both of us practised with the single 10m air pistol our father bought for Rs 130,000. As twins, we share a special bond and we always pushed each other. While Vijayveer is two minutes younger and does not listen to me as an elder brother most of the time (laughs), we always share inputs regarding shooting,” Udhayveer says.They lost their father in 2017 to an illness. But a year later, Udhayveer became the 25m pistol champion in the ISSF World Junior Championships in Changwon. Vijayveer won the 25m standard pistol title. Over the next two years, the twins became a constant feature in the Indian junior shooting team. Vijayveer clinched the junior world titles in 25m pistol and 25m standard pistol in 2021 while Udhayveer won silver in the 25m standard pistol. Udhayveer Sidhu poses with Christian Reitz (left) and Paolo Monna.But Vijayveer received the senior call-up first. He duly impressed with a silver in the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi but narrowly missed the quota for Tokyo Games. He, though, qualified for the Paris Olympics. Udhayveer, meanwhile, kept plugging in the junior circuit. He won the junior 25m pistol and 25m standard pistol world titles in Cairo in 2022.Both started in 25m pistol events together, balancing it with 10m air pistol events as well. Brotherly advice is frequent. “While we often talk about getting the basics right in the 10m air pistol and how it helps one with patience, Vijayveer always tells me to trust myself in the 25m pistol. I tend to think too much in controlling my shots but Vijayveer always tells me to trust my process,” says Udhayveer.Story continues below this adThe eight-shooter grid in Cairo featured two medallists in Paris—bronze medallist Paolo Monna and 10m air pistol mixed team silver medallist Yusuf Dikec of Turkey. Udhayveer started with a series of 49.8 and 2.1 behind top placed Moana.The Indian dropped to the sixth spot after the second series. Over the next 14 shots with one shooter being eliminated after every two shots, Udhayveer shot four shots fewer than ten with the rest shooting inconsistently. One-time leader Moana ended with the bronze. Udhayveer trailed Reitz by 0.3 points going into the final two shots before he hit a 10.2. The German managed only 9.6. With a lead of 0.3 before the final shot, Udhayveer hit a 9.8 with the German hitting a 9.6. “Udhayveer’s level of tactical maturity impressed me,” said coach Jelena Arunovic.“He has managed to take the best practices from the 25m rapid fire pistol and successfully apply them to the 10m air pistol. Udhayveer managed the final well,” he added.The coach draws a sibling parallel between him and his younger sister Zorana, 10m air pistol mixed team gold medallist in Paris Olympics. “I think we should look at the relationship between the twins from a slightly different perspective. Having her there in the team makes things easier for me. We competed during training, but we also shared experiences, learned from one another and always looked after each other. Later, I became her coach and guided her to all the major medals she won, including Olympic gold. Healthy competition and mutual support can go hand in hand,” said the coach. So is it with the Sidhus.