India added two more medals to its tally at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, September 23, as both the men’s and women’s skeet teams secured bronze at the Aichi General Shooting Range. While the podium finishes marked a significant achievement for the shotgun contingent, the day was defined by a mix of resilience in the field and missed opportunities in the individual finals and pistol events.
The women’s skeet team, comprised of Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, made history by clinching India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the discipline. The trio recorded a total of 331 in the qualifying rounds, finishing behind gold-medalists China, who scored 357, and silver-medalists Kazakhstan, who finished with 336. Meanwhile, the men’s team of Mairaj Ahmed Khan, Bhavtegh Gill, and
Individual Heartbreak and Pistol Struggles
Despite the team success, individual glory remained out of reach for India’s shooters. Anantjeet Singh Naruka, a silver medalist from the previous Games in Hangzhou, narrowly missed the podium in the men’s individual skeet final. Despite a valiant effort, he finished fourth with 25 out of 28 shots, falling just one shot short of Taiwan’s bronze medalist, Lee Meng-Yuan. In the women’s individual event, Raiza Dhillon also finished fourth with 23 out of 28, while Parinaaz Dhaliwal was the first to be eliminated, placing eighth overall.
The atmosphere at the firing range proved more difficult for the pistol shooters.
Reflecting on the Performance
Reflecting on the historic women’s skeet bronze, Maheshwari Chauhan expressed a mix of pride and ambition. While acknowledging the significance of the achievement, she noted that the squad had hoped for a higher podium finish. She remains optimistic about the future of Indian shotgun shooting, citing the emergence of a younger, more technically proficient generation of athletes as a positive sign for upcoming competitions.
The day served as a reminder of the fine margins in elite shooting, where the difference between a medal and elimination is often a single shot. As the Asian Games continue in Nagoya, the Indian shooting squad looks to build on these team performances while aiming to overcome the challenges that hindered their individual campaigns.
