Suruchi Inder Singh and Kamaljeet claimed gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on Friday, 25 September, posting a score of 484.6 to set a new Asian record and deliver India one of its standout shooting medals of the Games. The triumph was all the more remarkable because both shooters had missed the individual 10m air pistol final earlier in the tournament.

Coach's message that changed everything

The turnaround began in the dressing room, where coach Samaresh Jung delivered a blunt but effective reset. According to Kamaljeet, Jung told the pair to stop dwelling on the individual disappointment entirely. 'The coach told me before the match that yesterday's match was already over. What's the point of thinking about it now? Focus on the next day. It's not like you only have to win the gold. Everyone is here to play. You just have faith in yourself and follow your technique. You will get the gold,' Kamaljeet said at a post-match media interaction.

Suruchi echoed that framing: 'He said the setback is past. If we think about it, we will ruin our future. That match is over. If we think about it and ruin the next, we won't get a medal,' she said.

Record-breaking final and qualification run

South Korea's Choo Gaeun and Hong Suhyeon claimed silver with 478.0, while Iran's Rostamyan Haniyeh and Golkhandan Vahid took bronze with 415.8. The Indian pair's margin of victory — over 6 points clear of silver — underlined the dominance of their final performance.

The record-breaking did not begin in the final alone. In qualification, Suruchi and Kamaljeet had already posted 587 (29 inner 10s), breaking the Asian Games Qualification Record of 577 previously set by fellow Indians Sarabjot Singh and Divya Subbaraju at Hangzhou 2023. That score also equalled the overall Asian record of 587 set by Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker in 2021.

Suruchi said that during the final itself, neither shooter was tracking the scoreboard. 'Nothing happens during the match. During the match, we don't look at the screen. We don't look at the scoreboard or anything else. We don't look at anyone else's screen. We focus on what comes on our screen,' she said. The record only registered after the event concluded: 'After the match, it was on the scoreboard that I scored a new record. So, it was a good thing that I scored a new record,' she added.

Personal stories behind the medals

For Kamaljeet, the gold carried a deeply personal weight. He revealed that difficult financial circumstances had nearly ended his shooting career four years ago, and that his father's unconditional support kept him on the range. 'I don't have a good family situation. I had an accident and had to spend four to five lakh. It was on loan. He didn't tell me where the money would come from. He supported me and told me to focus on my shooting,' Kamaljeet said. 'My family is my biggest support. They supported me. That's how I got my medal. Otherwise, I would have quit shooting four years ago.'

Suruchi, meanwhile, credited her father — a former army serviceman who introduced her to the sport — and her younger brother, who also shoots and has been a constant presence alongside her. 'My father's role is very important. He served in the army. Then he started helping with my shooting... He never left me alone. He was always with me. My parents supported me a lot,' she said.

India's shooting campaign strengthened

The gold adds another significant medal to India's shooting tally at the Nagoya Asian Games, continuing a strong run for the country in the discipline at multi-sport continental competitions. Notably, India had previously set the Asian Games Qualification Record in this very event at Hangzhou 2023 — the fact that its own shooters broke it underlines a consistent upward trajectory in team-format pistol shooting.

With the mixed team event concluded in record-breaking fashion, attention now turns to whether India's shooting contingent can build on this result in the remaining events at Nagoya.