Asian Games skeet: Raiza, Parinaaz miss individual medals after team bronze
Synopsis
India's shooters delivered a bittersweet day at the Asian Games in Nagoya — bronze medals in both men's and women's skeet team events, but no individual glory. Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, who qualified for the women's skeet final, finished fourth and eighth respectively, while Manu Bhaker's fifth-place finish in air pistol compounded India's individual medal drought on the day.
Key Takeaways
Raiza Dhillon finished fourth and Parinaaz Dhaliwal eighth in the women's skeet individual final at the Asian Games, Nagoya on 23 September .
Both shooters qualified with identical scores of 111/125 but could not convert in the final.
India won team bronze in women's skeet with a qualification total of 331 ; China took gold ( 347 ) and Kazakhstan silver ( 336 ).
Anantjeet Singh Naruka , Mairaj Ahmad Khan , and Bhavtegh Singh claimed men's skeet team bronze with 346 — India's seventh shooting medal at Aichi-Nagoya.
Manu Bhaker finished fifth (181.1) in the women's 10m air pistol individual final; India also missed bronze in the team event on countback.
India won an unprecedented 22 shooting medals at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou .
Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal came agonisingly close but returned empty-handed from the women's skeet individual event at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, 23 September, finishing fourth and eighth respectively — even as the pair had earlier helped India clinch a team bronze in the same discipline.
Qualification and Final Performance
Both Raiza and Parinaaz shot identical scores of 111/125 during the three-day qualification rounds, finishing eighth and ninth respectively to secure their spots in the final. However, neither shooter could convert that momentum into a podium finish, with the duo ultimately failing to make a significant impact in the final and departing without an individual medal.
Team Bronze for India in Women's Skeet
The disappointment in the individual event was offset by the earlier team success. Parinaaz, Raiza, and Maheshwari combined for a qualification total of 331 to claim the bronze medal in the women's skeet team event. China's team of Che Yufei, Jian Yiting, and Jiang Chaoyu took gold with a dominant score of 347, while Kazakhstan — comprising Assem Orynbay, Zoya Piskun, and Adel Sadakbayeva — claimed silver with 336.
Men's Skeet: Another Bronze, Anantjeet Reaches Final
In the men's skeet team event, Olympians Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Mairaj Ahmad Khan, alongside Bhavtegh Singh, secured India's seventh shooting medal at Aichi-Nagoya with a score of 346. Qatar won gold and Kuwait took silver in that event. Individually, Anantjeet was the lone Indian to qualify for the men's final, scoring 119/125 in qualification. Mairaj's 116/125 and Bhavtegh's 111/125 were not enough to advance.
Manu Bhaker Misses Podium in Air Pistol
India drew a blank in the 10m air pistol events on the day. Star shooter Manu Bhaker suffered a heartbreak, finishing fifth in the women's individual final with a score of 181.1, narrowly missing a medal. In the women's 10m air pistol team event, India finished fourth with an aggregate of 1719-44x, edged out of bronze by Vietnam (1719-46x) on countback. China claimed gold with 1735-56x and South Korea took silver with 1730-55x.
Context: India's Shooting Legacy at Asian Games
India's shooting contingent has historically punched above its weight at the Asian Games. At the previous edition in Hangzhou, India produced an unprecedented haul of 22 medals — 7 gold, 9 silver, and 6 bronze — setting a high benchmark for the current campaign in Aichi-Nagoya. The mixed results on Wednesday reflect both the depth of competition and the fine margins that separate individual glory from near-misses at this level.
Point of View
Which is itself no small feat, but the gap between making the cut and standing on the podium is precisely where consistency under pressure is tested. Manu Bhaker's fifth-place finish, a single countback separating the women's air pistol team from bronze, and near-misses across events suggest India's shooting depth is real — but converting qualification runs into medals remains the persistent challenge. With Hangzhou's record 22-medal haul as the benchmark, the Aichi-Nagoya campaign will need a strong finish to avoid being framed as a step back.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal perform at the Asian Games 2026 skeet event?
Raiza Dhillon finished fourth and Parinaaz Dhaliwal finished eighth in the women's skeet individual final in Nagoya. Both had qualified for the final with identical scores of 111/125 but could not secure a podium finish.
Did India win a medal in the women's skeet team event at the Asian Games?
Yes, India claimed the bronze medal in the women's skeet team event with a qualification total of 331. China won gold with 347 and Kazakhstan took silver with 336.
How did Manu Bhaker perform at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya?
Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's 10m air pistol individual final with a score of 181.1, missing a podium spot. In the team event, India also finished fourth — edged out of bronze by Vietnam on countback with an identical aggregate of 1719.
What was India's medal tally in shooting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games so far?
The men's skeet team bronze for Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, and Bhavtegh Singh was India's seventh shooting medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
How does India's current Asian Games shooting performance compare to Hangzhou 2022?
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, India set an unprecedented record of 22 shooting medals — 7 gold, 9 silver, and 6 bronze. The Aichi-Nagoya campaign has so far been more modest, with the Wednesday results reflecting the fine margins at elite level competition.
