Sonowal hails shooters' silver in Men's 50m Rifle 3P Team at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
India's trio of Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, and Niraj Kumar won silver in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal celebrated the podium finish on X.
Key Takeaways
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar , Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil , and Niraj Kumar won the silver medal in Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Team at Asian Games 2026 .
The event is part of the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal congratulated the trio on 25 September 2026 via X.
The 50m Rifle 3 Positions event tests kneeling, prone, and standing accuracy — one of the most technically demanding rifle disciplines.
India's shooters have been among the country's most consistent medal-winners at the Asian Games since the 2023 Hangzhou edition.
India's rifle shooters climbed the podium at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal was among the first to salute the achievement — congratulating the silver-medal-winning trio in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Team event on Friday, 25 September 2026.
Writing on X, Sonowal called it 'a brilliant podium finish' and extended his heartiest congratulations to Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, and Niraj Kumar — the three shooters who combined to secure the silver. 'My best wishes,' he added, signing off under the hashtags #Cheer4Bharat and #AsianGames2026.
Three names, one podium: who are the medallists?
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar is a senior Indian rifle shooter with a track record across ISSF World Cup circuits and Olympic-level competition. Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil broke through at junior level before graduating to senior international tournaments, building a reputation as one of India's sharpest 10m air rifle talents. Niraj Kumar rounds out the trio with Asian and world-level appearances in the rifle disciplines — three athletes whose individual journeys converged on a single silver-medal stage in Japan.
Asian Games 2026 and India's shooting ambitions
The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya is the first edition of the quadrennial multi-sport event since the 2023 Hangzhou Games, where India's shooters delivered a historic haul that lifted the country's overall medal tally. Shooting has become one of India's most reliable medal-generating disciplines at the continental games, with the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event demanding a punishing combination of kneeling, prone, and standing accuracy — a true test of technical mastery and mental resilience.
India's political class has increasingly amplified athletes' performances on social media, a pattern that reflects a broader push to raise the profile of Olympic-pathway sports. A minister's congratulatory post reaches millions of followers and feeds the national conversation around grassroots sporting infrastructure and elite athlete support programmes.
Point of View
A discipline that has become a reliable medal pipeline since systematic government investment in infrastructure and athlete stipends accelerated after the 2016 Rio cycle. The visible enthusiasm of senior ministers on social media is not incidental — it doubles as soft political messaging around the BJP government's 'Khelo India' and elite-sports mandate. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now within the four-year planning horizon, team rifle events serve as a crucial qualification and ranking ground; a silver in Aichi-Nagoya keeps India's rifle programme on the selectors' radar at exactly the right moment.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won silver for India in Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Team at Asian Games 2026?
India's team of Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, and Niraj Kumar won the silver medal in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Where are the Asian Games 2026 being held?
The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, continuing the quadrennial series after the 2023 Hangzhou edition.
What is the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event?
The Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event requires shooters to fire from three stances — kneeling, prone, and standing — at a target 50 metres away, making it one of the most technically demanding disciplines in competitive rifle shooting.
Who is Sarbananda Sonowal?
Sarbananda Sonowal is India's Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, a senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Assam, who congratulated the silver-medal-winning shooters on X.
How has India performed in shooting at recent Asian Games?
India's shooters have been among the country's strongest medal contributors at recent Asian Games editions, including a historic performance at the 2023 Hangzhou Games that significantly boosted India's overall tally.
