Indian shooter Niraj Kumar and his teammates Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Rudrankksh Patil claimed a team silver medal in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event at the Asian Games in Nagoya on 25 September, even as both Niraj and Aishwary were unable to convert their individual final berths into podium finishes.

Team Result and Scores

The Indian trio posted a combined score of 1762-94x at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery, finishing second behind China, who claimed gold with 1766-95x. South Korea took bronze with 1751-87x. The margin between India and China was a mere 4 points, underlining the fine margins at the top of competitive rifle shooting.

'It feels good that Team Silver is here. There were some individual defeats, but we have to settle for the team medal. Because every day is a new day, so anything can happen. So otherwise, we are happy,' Niraj said after the event.

Individual Final: A Difficult Day for Indian Shooters

Both Niraj and Aishwary qualified for the individual final, but neither could medal. Aishwary finished fifth with a score of 327.6, having briefly held sixth place after the prone series before moving up to fifth after the second kneeling series. Niraj ended last among the eight finalists with 299.0, citing a persistent struggle in the kneeling position.

'Actually, there was a little struggle in the kneeling position from the start. So, there was no change. The result was the same in the match. But we will work on it. Everything else was fine,' Niraj said.

China's Yukun Liu won gold with a Games record of 360.5, while compatriot Zhang Changhong took silver with 360.2. Kazakhstan's Islam Satpayev earned bronze with 348.3.

A Medal Dedicated to Family and the Navy

Despite the mixed individual outcomes, Niraj was reflective and gracious in dedicating the team silver to those closest to him. 'I will dedicate this medal to my family. Because their sacrifices are also with me. And I will dedicate it to the Navy,' he said.

Niraj hails from Behmava village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district and traced his shooting roots to the National Cadet Corps (NCC). His father retired from the Indian Army in 2013, and his brother currently serves in the forces — a family legacy that clearly shapes his sense of purpose on the range.

From NCC to Asian Games: Niraj's Journey

Niraj recalled the early hardships of his shooting career, including not receiving a weapon from the NCC after his first year. 'Then I requested my parents for my own weapon. Then they also thought that, yes, I can do something,' he said. His parents backed him at a time when institutional support was limited.

That situation has changed markedly. Niraj credited the government, the Indian Navy, and sponsors including Reliance for transforming his preparation environment. 'The government support is so much. The Navy support is so much. Reliance support is so much... Now, I feel more confident,' he said. He added that all overseas training trips and equipment purchases are now covered by sponsors — a stark contrast to his early days relying solely on parental support.

What's Next

The individual results will serve as a technical reference point for India's coaching staff, particularly around Niraj's kneeling position, which he himself identified as the key technical gap. With the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle now complete and the Los Angeles 2028 cycle underway, Asian Games performances at events like Nagoya carry added weight as qualification and ranking benchmarks. India's rifle shooting programme has been steadily building depth, and the team silver in Nagoya reinforces that trajectory even as the individual medal drought in this event continues.