Indian Mens Pistol Team Misses Medal at Asian Games 2026

Nagoya, September 24 (Udaipur Kiran) : The Indian men’s team faced disappointment in the 10-meter air pistol event at the Asian Games 2026 held in Nagoya on September 24. Comprising Kamaljeet, Kedarling Balakrishna, and Akash Bhardwaj, the trio scored a total of 1727 points, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal to Japan, which scored 1730 points.

China and Indonesia both achieved scores of 1743, but China secured the gold and Indonesia the silver based on the number of inner-10s scored, which served as the tie-breaker.

None of the Indian shooters qualified for the finals in the individual 10-meter air pistol event. Kamaljeet finished ninth with a score of 580, while Akash and Kedarling placed 11th and 35th with scores of 579 and 568, respectively.

In a positive note for India, the mixed pair of Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaz Dhaliwal qualified for the finals, finishing fourth with a score of 138. They will compete against teams from Qatar, Korea, and China, who placed first, second, and third, respectively, in the qualification round.

Both Anantjeet and Parinaz were part of the Indian skeet teams that won medals earlier in the competition. Anantjeet contributed to the men’s team that secured a bronze, while Parinaz was part of the women’s trio that also claimed bronze. The Indian team faced a disappointing end in the skeet finals, with Manu Bhaker finishing fifth in her individual event without a medal.

India made its mark at the Asian Games 2026 by winning its first medal in the shooting events, with the women’s 10-meter air rifle team claiming silver. The team, consisting of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsha Vinod, showcased remarkable performance, while Elavenil also earned a silver medal in the individual event. In the men’s 10-meter air rifle team event, Himanshu Dhillon, Parth Mane, and Rudraksh Patil also brought home a silver, with Himanshu and Rudraksh winning silver and bronze in their individual events, respectively.