Anurag Thakur hails Parinaaz & Anantjeet's Asian Games bronze
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur congratulated Indian shooters Parinaaz and Anantjeet for winning bronze in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, describing the achievement as a moment of national pride.
Key Takeaways
Parinaaz and Anantjeet won bronze in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , a former Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, publicly congratulated the pair on 24 September 2026 .
Shooting has been a consistently strong discipline for India across successive Asian Games editions.
The Khelo India programme, launched in 2017 , has supported grassroots and elite shooting development in India.
The 2026 Asian Games serve as a key pre-Olympic benchmark for the Indian sports programme.
A bronze medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event, and a nation pausing to applaud — BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday, 24 September 2026 congratulated Indian shooters Parinaaz and Anantjeet on their podium finish at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, calling the achievement a moment of national pride.
Parinaaz and Anantjeet claim Skeet Mixed Team bronze in Aichi-Nagoya
The duo secured third place in the Skeet Mixed Team category, one of shooting's most technically demanding disciplines, where male and female athletes combine their scores under pressure. Thakur, who served as Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports before returning to Parliament, posted: 'Congratulations to our ace shooters Parinaaz and Anantjeet for winning Bronze in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the Asian Games 2026. The whole nation is proud of you. Jai Hind 🇮🇳'
Shooting's steady climb in India's Asian Games story
Shooting has been one of India's most consistent medal-producing disciplines at successive Asian Games editions. The sport sits at the intersection of elite infrastructure investment and grassroots development — two pillars the government has leaned on since the mid-2010s. The Khelo India programme, launched in 2017, was designed precisely to build that pipeline: identify talent early, fund international exposure, and keep the podium finishes coming at marquee multi-sport events.
The 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya represent a critical benchmark year, falling squarely in the buildup to the next Olympic cycle. Every medal here is a data point for the Sports Ministry's ongoing review of athlete support mechanisms — and a bronze in a mixed team event signals that India's shooting programme continues to produce athletes ready for global competition.
Point of View
His acknowledgement of individual athletes by name underscores the political investment in shooting as a flagship discipline. India's consistent podium presence in shooting at Asian Games editions has become a metric by which sports policy is quietly measured. A mixed-team format medal is particularly significant, reflecting depth in the national squad rather than a single exceptional performer. With the next Olympic cycle in view, every Asian Games result feeds directly into funding and selection conversations at the Sports Ministry.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Parinaaz and Anantjeet in the context of the 2026 Asian Games?
Parinaaz and Anantjeet are Indian competitive shooters who won the bronze medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
What is the Skeet Mixed Team event in shooting?
The Skeet Mixed Team event pairs a male and female shooter who combine their scores in a clay-target discipline, requiring consistent accuracy and coordination under competition pressure.
Where are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
The 2026 Asian Games are hosted by Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.
What is Anurag Thakur's connection to Indian sports?
Anurag Thakur served as Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports before returning to Parliament as BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, making him a prominent political voice on Indian sports affairs.
What is the Khelo India programme and how does it relate to shooting?
Khelo India is a government scheme launched in 2017 to promote grassroots sports and athlete development across disciplines including shooting, funding early talent identification and international exposure.
