Asian Games 2026: President Murmu hails Women's Skeet Team bronze by Dhaliwal, Dhillon, Chauhan
Synopsis
India's women's skeet trio of Dhaliwal, Dhillon, and Chauhan delivered a bronze at Asian Games 2026, earning a personal congratulatory message from President Murmu — and the men's skeet team matched them on the same day. However, Manu Bhaker's fifth-place finish in air pistol and a tiebreaker loss in the team event cast a shadow over an otherwise productive day for Indian shooting.
Key Takeaways
Parinaaz Dhaliwal , Raiza Dhillon , and Maheshwari Chauhan won bronze in the Women's Skeet Team event at Asian Games 2026 with a combined score of 331 .
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the trio, saying their 'skill, determination and team spirit have made the nation proud.' The men's skeet team — Anantjeet Singh Naruka , Mairaj Ahmad Khan , Bhavtegh Singh Gill — also won bronze with 346 points.
Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final with 181.1 , missing the podium.
India's women missed the 10m air pistol team bronze on tiebreaker, finishing fourth with 1719-44x against Vietnam's 1719-46x .
India had won a record 22 medals at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou .
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, 23 September 2026 congratulated Indian shooters Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan on clinching a bronze medal in the women's skeet team event at the Asian Games 2026. The trio's podium finish adds a crucial shooting medal to India's tally at the ongoing continental showpiece.
How India Secured the Bronze
The Indian women's skeet team combined for a total score of 331 across three days of qualification rounds to finish third on the podium. China claimed the gold with a dominant 347, while Kazakhstan took the silver with 336. Individually, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Raiza Dhillon each scored 111 out of a possible 125, while Maheshwari Chauhan contributed 109 points to the team's total.
President Murmu's Message to the Athletes
A post from the President's office read: 'Congratulations to Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan on winning the Bronze Medal in the Women's Skeet Team event at the Asian Games 2026. Your skill, determination and team spirit have made the nation proud. May you continue to achieve greater laurels in the future.' The message underscored the growing national recognition for India's shooting contingent at the Games.
Men's Skeet Team Also Claims Bronze
India's medal haul in skeet shooting was doubled on the same day as the men's skeet team — comprising Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, and Bhavtegh Singh Gill — also secured a bronze with a combined score of 346. Anantjeet, who has additionally qualified for the individual final, led the team with 119 points, while Mairaj contributed 116 and Bhavtegh added 111.
Mixed Results Elsewhere in Shooting
Not all results went India's way on the day. In the women's individual skeet final, both Dhillon and Dhaliwal narrowly missed medals, finishing fourth and eighth respectively. The disappointment extended to the 10m air pistol events: star shooter Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's individual final with a score of 181.1, falling short of a podium berth. In the team event, Indian women finished fourth with an aggregate of 1719-44x — missing bronze by the narrowest of margins, as Vietnam claimed the third spot with 1719-46x, separated by the x-count tiebreaker. China won gold with 1735-56x and South Korea took silver with 1730-55x.
Context: India's Asian Games Shooting Legacy
At the previous edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, India had won a record 22 medals — including seven golds, nine silvers, and six bronzes — a benchmark the current contingent is aiming to challenge. The twin skeet bronzes on Wednesday represent a strong contribution from the shooting discipline, even as near-misses in pistol events highlight the fine margins at elite level competition. With individual finals still to come, India's shooting campaign is far from over.
Point of View
But the day's full picture is more complicated. India's narrowest-of-margins loss in the women's air pistol team event — beaten by Vietnam on x-count alone — is the kind of result that stings long after the Games are over, and it reflects a recurring pattern of near-misses in technical precision events. Manu Bhaker, who became a national icon at the Paris Olympics, leaving empty-handed in both pistol events will dominate the post-match conversation more than the skeet medals. The shooting programme still has individual finals ahead, and how India manages those will define whether this edition can challenge the Hangzhou record of 22 medals.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Women's Skeet Team bronze at Asian Games 2026?
India's team of Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan won the bronze medal in the Women's Skeet Team event at the Asian Games 2026 with a combined score of 331. China claimed gold with 347 and Kazakhstan took silver with 336.
What did President Murmu say about India's skeet medal?
President Droupadi Murmu, through a post from her office, congratulated the trio, saying their 'skill, determination and team spirit have made the nation proud' and wished them greater laurels in the future.
How did the Indian men's skeet team perform at Asian Games 2026?
The men's skeet team of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, and Bhavtegh Singh Gill also won bronze at Asian Games 2026, combining for 346 points. Anantjeet led with 119 points and has also qualified for the individual final.
Why did Manu Bhaker miss a medal at Asian Games 2026?
Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final with a score of 181.1, falling short of the top three. The Indian women's team also narrowly missed bronze in the team event, losing to Vietnam on the x-count tiebreaker despite an identical aggregate score.
How does India's current Asian Games shooting tally compare to Hangzhou?
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, India had won a record 22 medals including seven golds, nine silvers, and six bronzes. The current edition's shooting programme has contributed at least two bronzes from skeet events, with individual finals still to be contested.
