Maheshwari Chauhan, Raiza Dhillon, and Parinaaz Dhaliwal scripted history for Indian shooting on 23 September 2026 in Nagoya, as the women's skeet team claimed a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 — the first-ever podium finish for India in the event. The trio shot a combined score of 331 in the qualification rounds to secure third place on the podium.

The Podium and the Numbers

China — represented by Che Yufei, Jian Yiting, and Jiang Chaoyu — took the gold medal with a score of 347. Kazakhstan, fielding Assem Orynbay, Zoya Piskun, and Adel Sadakbayeva, claimed silver with 336. India's 331 was enough to edge past the rest of the field and land the country its first-ever skeet team medal at the Games.

What the Shooters Said

'I just feel very grateful, because this is a first for India. I think all three of us are very fortunate that we got this opportunity to perform, first and foremost, for our country, and to finish with a medal. Of course, there is still a lot of work left, but there is a long way to go, and it definitely feels good and very fortunate,' Maheshwari Chauhan said after the event.

Raiza Dhillon echoed that sentiment, noting that strong pre-competition preparation had given the team genuine medal expectations. 'We are all very happy. We expected a medal because our training was going really well. This is a landmark victory for us and for our country. So, we are all very happy and very proud of ourselves,' she said.

Individual Finals: A Different Story

The elation of the team event was tempered by the individual competition, where neither Raiza Dhillon nor Parinaaz Dhaliwal could convert their qualification form into medals. Both shooters posted 111 out of 125 in qualification — Raiza qualifying eighth and Parinaaz ninth — but neither could replicate that standard in the final. Raiza finished fourth and Parinaaz placed eighth in the individual event, ending outside the medal positions.

India's Shooting Tally in Context

The bronze added to India's growing medal haul at the Asian Games 2026, taking the shooting tally to seven — comprising four silver and two bronze medals. Notably, this represents a significant step down from the record-breaking haul at the previous edition in Hangzhou, where India's shooters collected 22 medals, including seven gold, nine silver, and six bronze. The team event bronze, however, carries a symbolic weight that numbers alone cannot capture — it breaks entirely new ground for Indian women's skeet shooting.

What This Means for Indian Shooting

The result underlines the growing depth in India's shooting pipeline, particularly in shotgun disciplines that have historically lagged behind the country's rifle and pistol programmes. With qualification pathways for the next Olympic cycle now in focus, performances like these at the Asian Games will carry added weight in selection discussions. The team's coaching staff and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) are expected to draw detailed lessons from both the team triumph and the individual shortfalls heading into the next training block.