India Celebrates Big Win in 10m Air Pistol at Asian Games 2026
India experienced a moment of joy in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026, thanks to an unexpected partnership. Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet teamed up at the last minute to deliver a stunning performance, earning a gold medal and setting a new record for the event.
This victory marks India’s first gold in shooting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the second gold overall, following the women’s cricket team’s earlier win.
The timing of this medal is particularly meaningful for India’s 10m air pistol team, which had faced a tough competition until that point. In the last Asian Games, India had secured gold in the men’s team event and also achieved gold and silver in the women’s individual events. However, this year had seen them come up empty-handed until Friday.
Even renowned Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, who was expected to shine, missed out on the podium after reaching the final in the women’s 10m air pistol event. Additionally, India didn’t manage to secure medals in either the men’s or women’s team competitions.
The mixed team event represented the last chance for the Indian shooters to grab a medal. In a bold move, the National Rifle Association of India replaced the originally designated male shooter, Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, with Kamaljeet just before the event. Kamaljeet had showcased his potential by finishing as the top Indian performer in the men’s qualification round, scoring 580 points and narrowly missing the individual final. In contrast, Kedarling faced a rough round, ending up in 35th place with 568 points.
The decision turned out to be a masterstroke. Kamaljeet and Suruchi dominated the qualification round, achieving a top score of 587 points, which included 29 inner 10s. They kicked off with a score of 196 in the opening series, followed by 195 in the second series, achieving a total of 391 with 20 shots left. They then capped off their performance with another impressive 196, securing their spot in the medal round.
In the final, the duo pulled ahead, finishing with an impressive score of 484.6 points, which was 6.6 points ahead of South Korea’s Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo, who took home the silver with a score of 478.0. Iran earned the bronze medal scoring 415.8.
The margin of victory is notable, especially in a sport where outcomes are often determined by razor-thin differences. India’s score was also just 3.8 points shy of the world record.
This victory was a turnaround for both athletes, who had faced disappointing results in their individual events just a day before. Kamaljeet narrowly missed the men’s individual final, while Suruchi finished 26th in women’s qualification and did not advance.
However, in this unexpected partnership, both shooters delivered their best performances of the Games, ensuring that India’s wait for a shooting gold medal didn’t extend beyond the sixth day of the Asian Games.
