Nadda hails India's first Asian Games Skeet Mixed Team bronze
Synopsis
Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anantjeet Singh Naruka clinched India's first-ever Asian Games bronze in the Skeet Mixed Team event at Asian Games 2026, with Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda congratulating the duo on the historic podium finish.
Key Takeaways
Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anantjeet Singh Naruka won a bronze medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event at Asian Games 2026 .
This is India's first-ever Asian Games medal in the Skeet Mixed Team discipline.
Union Health Minister J.
Nadda congratulated the duo on September 24, 2026 via X.
Shooting has historically been a consistent medal contributor for India at the Asian Games.
The Khelo India initiative (launched 2017 ) has been central to India's grassroots sports development, including shooting.
India has a new page in its shooting history. Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anantjeet Singh Naruka won a bronze medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, September 24 — the country's first-ever Asian Games medal in that discipline — and Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda was among the first to salute the achievement.
A podium India has never claimed before
The Skeet Mixed Team event demands both precision and synchrony — two shooters, one shared result, and no margin for error at the elite continental stage. Dhaliwal and Naruka delivered exactly that. Their bronze is not merely another medal in India's Asian Games tally; it is the first time India has stood on the podium in this specific combined format, marking a genuine frontier crossed.
Nadda's post on X captured the significance plainly: 'Their focus, skill and determination have earned the nation a memorable podium finish.' For a discipline that requires months of calibrated range work and competitive pairing, the tribute lands with weight.
Shooting's quiet rise in India's Games medal cabinet
Shooting has long been one of India's more reliable sources of Asian Games hardware — rifles, pistols and shotgun events have delivered medals across multiple editions of the continental meet. The Skeet Mixed Team format, however, had remained out of reach until now. That gap is now closed.
The result also reflects the broader infrastructure push India has made in Olympic and Asian Games sports. The Khelo India initiative, launched in 2017, was designed precisely to deepen the bench across disciplines, funnel talent into structured coaching pipelines, and reduce India's dependence on a handful of marquee names. Whether Dhaliwal and Naruka came through that pipeline directly, the medal underlines that the investment is producing results at the highest continental level.
What the bronze means for Indian shooting going forward
A first-ever medal in an event rewrites expectations for every squad that follows. Coaches, selectors, and young shooters now know the Skeet Mixed Team podium is reachable — and that knowledge alone shifts the ambition dial. With the Asian Games cycle continuing and global qualifying events on the horizon, the duo's bronze sets a benchmark India will be expected to defend and improve upon.
For Dhaliwal and Naruka, the moment is personal; for Indian shooting, it is institutional. History, once made, becomes the floor.
Point of View
Not just a medal count addition — it signals that India's shooting ecosystem is now competitive in formats that previously yielded nothing at the Asian Games level. For the BJP-led government, the result offers a tangible data point for the Khelo India investment narrative ahead of future Games cycles. It also raises the question of whether shooting's historic reliance on individual rifle and pistol events is giving way to a broader, format-agnostic depth. The political congratulation from a senior cabinet minister reinforces the government's consistent strategy of associating itself visibly with international sporting success.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won India's first Asian Games medal in Skeet Mixed Team?
Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the bronze medal — India's first-ever Asian Games medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event — at Asian Games 2026 on September 24, 2026 .
What is the Skeet Mixed Team event?
Skeet Mixed Team is a shotgun shooting discipline at the Asian Games where one male and one female athlete compete together as a pair, with their combined scores determining the team's standing.
What did J. P. Nadda say about the Asian Games bronze?
Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda posted on X calling it 'a historic bronze for India' and praised the duo's 'focus, skill and determination' for earning 'the nation a memorable podium finish.'
What is Khelo India and how does it support shooting?
The Khelo India initiative , launched in 2017 , is a government programme to strengthen grassroots sports infrastructure and athlete development across disciplines, including shooting, with the aim of producing competitive international performers.
How significant is India's shooting record at the Asian Games?
Shooting has historically been one of India's more reliable medal-producing sports at the Asian Games across rifle, pistol, and shotgun events. The Skeet Mixed Team bronze in 2026 adds a new event category to that record for the first time.
