Asian Games 2026: India win men's skeet team bronze, Anantjeet reaches individual final
Synopsis
India's shooters are keeping the medal board ticking at Aichi-Nagoya — the men's skeet team bronze is India's seventh shooting medal of these Asian Games, with Anantjeet Singh Naruka now in the individual final. But the absence of a single gold and Manu Bhaker's fifth-place finish in air pistol are sharp reminders that this campaign, though consistent, is still chasing the extraordinary heights of Hangzhou 2022.
Key Takeaways
Anantjeet Singh Naruka , Mairaj Ahmad Khan , and Bhavtegh Singh won bronze in the men's skeet team event at Asian Games 2026 with a score of 346 .
Anantjeet qualified for the men's skeet individual final with a score of 119/125 ; Mairaj and Bhavtegh missed out.
Parinaaz Dhaliwal , Razia Dhillon , and Maheshwari Chauhan earlier won bronze in the women's skeet team event .
Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol final with 181.1 ; India missed the podium in both air pistol events.
India's shooting tally at Asian Games 2026 stands at 7 medals — 4 silver and 3 bronze ; overall tally is 10 medals .
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Mairaj Ahmad Khan, both Olympians, along with Bhavtegh Singh, clinched the bronze medal in the men's skeet team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday, 23 September. The Indian trio posted a combined score of 346, earning India its seventh shooting medal of the Games. Qatar took gold and Kuwait claimed silver.
Anantjeet Advances to Individual Final
Among the three, Anantjeet Singh Naruka was the only Indian to advance to the men's skeet individual final, having scored 119 out of 125 in qualification. Mairaj Ahmad Khan shot 116/125 and Bhavtegh Singh managed 111/125, with both falling short of the cut for the individual final scheduled later on the same day.
Women's Skeet: Another Bronze and Two Finalists
Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian women's skeet trio of Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Razia Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan had already secured a bronze medal in the women's skeet team event. Additionally, Razia Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal qualified for the women's skeet individual final, finishing seventh and eighth respectively in qualification.
Manu Bhaker Falls Short in Air Pistol
India drew a blank in the 10m air pistol events. Star shooter Manu Bhaker suffered a heartbreak, finishing fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final with a score of 181.1. In the team event, the Indian women finished fourth with an aggregate of 1719-44x, narrowly missing the podium — Vietnam claimed bronze with 1719-46x, South Korea took silver with 1730-55x, and China won gold with 1735-56x.
India's Shooting Medal Journey at Asian Games 2026
India's shooting campaign at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 opened with a silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event, won by Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod. Elavenil also added an individual silver in the same discipline. The following day, Himanshu Dhillon and Rundrakksh Patil bagged silver in the men's 10m air rifle team, before the pair added a silver and bronze respectively in their individual events. The men's skeet team bronze pushed India's shooting tally to seven medals — four silver and three bronze. Notably, India's haul at the previous edition in Hangzhou was a record-breaking 22 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze) in shooting.
India's Overall Medal Tally
With these results, India's overall medal count at Asian Games 2026 stands at 10 medals — one gold, four silver, and five bronze. The shooting contingent has been the primary driver of the country's medal haul so far, keeping India competitive on the overall standings as other events continue.
Point of View
Two disciplines contributing — but the contrast with Hangzhou's seven golds is hard to ignore. Manu Bhaker's fifth-place finish in air pistol, after her Paris Olympics heroics, underlines the compression of elite sport: a format change or a bad series can tip a medal into an also-ran. India's real test will come in the individual finals still to be decided — Anantjeet's progression to the skeet final is the best remaining shot at gold in shooting at these Games.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the men's skeet team bronze at Asian Games 2026?
India won the men's skeet team bronze at Asian Games 2026, with Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, and Bhavtegh Singh scoring a combined 346. Qatar took gold and Kuwait claimed silver.
Did Anantjeet Singh Naruka qualify for the individual final?
Yes, Anantjeet Singh Naruka qualified for the men's skeet individual final at Asian Games 2026 after scoring 119 out of 125 in qualification. He was the only Indian among the three team members to advance to the final.
How did Manu Bhaker perform at Asian Games 2026?
Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final with a score of 181.1, missing the podium. The Indian women's team also narrowly missed a medal in the team event, finishing fourth.
What is India's total shooting medal tally at Asian Games 2026?
India's shooting tally at Asian Games 2026 stands at seven medals — four silver and three bronze — as of 23 September. India's overall Games medal count is 10, comprising one gold, four silver, and five bronze.
How does India's 2026 shooting tally compare to Hangzhou 2022?
India's current seven-medal shooting haul at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 includes no gold medals, compared to an unprecedented 22 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze) at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games — widely regarded as the country's best-ever shooting performance at the event.
