Asian Games skeet: India's women end 23-year medal drought with historic bronze in Nagoya
Synopsis
For the first time in 23 years, India's women's skeet team stood on the Asian Games podium — and the athlete at the centre of it didn't even know they'd broken a record until after the fact. Behind the bronze is a quiet but real shift: SAI's investment in foreign coaches, structured pre-Games camps, and dedicated support staff is finally translating into results.
Key Takeaways
Parinaaz Dhaliwal , Raiza Dhillon , and Maheshwari Chauhan won India's first women's skeet team medal at the Asian Games in 23 years on 23 September 2026 in Nagoya .
The trio scored 331 in qualification, finishing behind gold medallist China (347) and silver medallist Kazakhstan (336) .
Foreign coach Riccardo Filippelli and domestic coach Amrinder Cheema were central to the upgraded SAI -backed support structure.
Both Parinaaz and Raiza qualified for the individual skeet final, each shooting 111/125 , but neither won a medal in the individual event.
Parinaaz, competing in her first international final , finished eighth individually and described the experience as a key learning opportunity.
India's women's skeet team clinched a historic bronze medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya on 23 September 2026, ending a 23-year wait for a podium finish in the discipline. Shooter Parinaaz Dhaliwal credited the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for a transformed training and support structure that she said made the crucial difference this time around.
How India Won the Bronze
The trio of Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan combined for a total of 331 in the qualification rounds to claim third place. China took gold with 347, while Kazakhstan claimed silver with 336. The result marks India's first women's skeet team medal at the Asian Games in over two decades.
What Changed: SAI's Upgraded Support Structure
Parinaaz was candid about the structural shift that underpinned the result. 'This time we had two camps before these games. And SAI has got Riccardo Filippelli as our foreign coach. We have a domestic coach, Amrinder Cheema. We have our physiotherapist. And of course, this is because of SAI's support,' she said after the win.
She contrasted this with earlier editions of the Games: 'In previous games we only had one camp. We did not have coaches. So this time things have been a lot more different. And the support has been very, very good.' The remarks point to a tangible upgrade in the Indian shooting ecosystem that critics and athletes had long called for.
Individual Event: A Final Appearance but No Medal
In the women's skeet individual event, both Parinaaz and Raiza qualified for the final after each shooting 111/125 in qualification — Raiza finishing eighth and Parinaaz ninth. However, neither could convert in the medal round. Raiza ended fourth, narrowly missing a podium, while Parinaaz finished eighth.
For Parinaaz, it was her first international final appearance, and she was measured about the outcome. 'It was my first final on an international circuit. So things did not go that well. But it's okay; it's always a learning experience,' she said.
The Emotion Behind the Medal
Parinaaz admitted she was initially unaware of the historical significance of the team's achievement. 'I am feeling really good. It's our first time in Team Med after 23 years, I believe. I didn't even know that we'd created a record and everything. But it feels amazing. And hats off to the whole team,' she said.
She dedicated the medal to the federation, SAI, her family, personal coach, and the broader support staff — underlining how collective the effort had been. Notably, this result arrives as India's shooting programme has been investing heavily in foreign expertise and structured pre-Games camps, a model that appears to be bearing fruit across disciplines.
What Comes Next
With a bronze at the Asian Games and a first international final under her belt, Parinaaz is now firmly on the radar for future Olympic qualification cycles. The team's performance also strengthens the case for continued SAI investment in shooting infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Point of View
Camps, and support staff produces results that goodwill alone cannot. India's shooting programme has long had talented athletes; what it lacked was the institutional scaffolding around them. The fact that Parinaaz did not even know she had broken a 23-year record underlines how normalised under-support had become. The question now is whether SAI sustains this model beyond a single cycle or reverts to the single-camp, no-coach approach Parinaaz herself described as the previous norm.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What historic achievement did India's women's skeet team make at the Asian Games 2026?
India's women's skeet team won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya on 23 September 2026, ending a 23-year wait for a podium finish in the discipline. The trio of Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan scored 331 in qualification to finish third.
Who are the Indian shooters who won the skeet team bronze at the Asian Games?
The three shooters are Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, and Maheshwari Chauhan. Together they combined for a qualification score of 331, behind China (347) and Kazakhstan (336).
How did SAI's support help India's skeet team at the Asian Games?
According to Parinaaz Dhaliwal, SAI provided two pre-Games training camps, a foreign coach in Riccardo Filippelli, domestic coach Amrinder Cheema, and a physiotherapist — a marked improvement on previous editions where the team had only one camp and no dedicated coaching staff.
How did Parinaaz and Raiza perform in the individual skeet event?
Both Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Raiza Dhillon qualified for the individual women's skeet final after each shooting 111/125. However, neither won a medal — Raiza finished fourth and Parinaaz eighth in the final round.
What did Parinaaz Dhaliwal say about competing in her first international final?
Parinaaz described the experience as a learning opportunity, saying: 'It was my first final on an international circuit. So things did not go that well. But it's okay; it's always a learning experience.' She finished eighth in the individual event.
