Asian Games 2026: How Suruchi and Kamaljeet ended India's wait for shooting gold

India finally has a gold medal in the Asian Games 2026 shooting events, and that too in some style. The Haryana-based duo of Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet, on Friday (Sept. 25), won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed-team event and set a new Asian Games record in the process. This is also India's second gold in the continental games, following the Indian women's cricket team's gold. Before this maiden gold, Indian shooters had won five silver and three bronze medals across events. Manu Bhaker, the double Olympic medallist from Paris 2024, was expected to win gold but failed to clinch any medal in a disappointing campaign.

How Suruchi and Kamaljeet won India's first shooting gold at the Asian Games

First, Suruchi and Kamaljeet equalled the Asian Record in qualification by shooting a total of 587, matching the milestone set by Indian pair Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary at the ISSF World Cup in 2021. They fell short of the Qualification World Record of 591, held by China, by just four points. The Indian pair shot 196, 195, and 196 across the three series to equal the record.

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In the final event, which saw competition between the top four pairs, the Haryana duo shot 103.0, 99.4, 101.1, 61.2, 60.2, and 59.7 to win the gold with a total of 484.6 — setting an Asian Games Record. South Korea won the silver in the event with a total of 478.0, while the bronze went to Iran with a total of 415.8.

Speaking on the achievement, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Shri Kalikesh Singh Deo said, “This is a remarkable achievement by Suruchi and Kamaljeet. To deliver under pressure, win gold and rewrite the Asian Games Record on the Asian Games stage speaks volumes about their talent, preparation and composure. Their performance is a proud moment for Indian shooting, and I congratulate both shooters on this outstanding achievement.”