India's Suruchi-Kamaljeet win 10m air pistol mixed team gold with Asian record at Asian Games
Synopsis
Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet rescued India's pistol campaign at the Asian Games in Nagoya, claiming mixed team 10m air pistol gold with an Asian-record 484.6 points — the country's second gold of the Games. NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo called it a long-awaited redemption after the pistol squad went medalless in men's, women's team and individual events.
Key Takeaways
Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team final at the Asian Games in Nagoya on 25 September .
Their score of 484.6 points set a new Asian record in the event.
It was India's second gold medal at the Games, after the women's cricket team.
NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo called the result a redemption after India drew a blank in men's and women's pistol team and individual events.
Manu Bhaker , Esha Singh , and Rahi Sarnobat — the 2018 Asian Games champion — are next set to compete in the 25m pistol event.
Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet delivered India its second gold medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday, 25 September, clinching the 10m air pistol mixed team final with an Asian-record score of 484.6 points. The performance came as a timely redemption after a string of near-misses in the men's and women's pistol events earlier in the week.
NRAI Chief Hails 'Elusive Gold'
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Singh Deo welcomed the result with visible relief, calling it a turnaround moment for the pistol contingent. 'Great day for Indian shooting; we finally got the elusive gold after a bit of a disappointment. However, our shooters redeemed themselves well with an Asian record and a gold. Amazing performance from Suruchi and Kamaljeet,' he said. Deo expressed confidence that more medals would follow in the remaining events at the Games.
A Week of Near-Misses Before the Breakthrough
The days leading up to Friday's gold had been a source of frustration for the Indian camp. In the men's 10m air pistol event, Kamaljeet, Kedarling Balakrishna, and Aakash Bhardwaj failed to secure a team medal and also missed out on places in the individual finals. On the women's side, the trio of Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, and Suruchi Inder Singh suffered an agonising exit from the team final — separated from bronze medallists Vietnam by just two inner-10s. Manu subsequently finished fifth in the individual final. The mixed team gold by Suruchi and Kamaljeet finally broke the deadlock for the pistol squad.
India's Medal Tally in Shooting So Far
Reflecting on the overall shooting campaign, Deo noted the numbers were respectable even if the gold column had remained empty until Friday. 'In the first two days we got five medals, then skeet contributed three, and today we got two medals. This is a fairly big number of medals, but what we were missing out on was gold,' he said. He acknowledged that converting finals appearances into gold remains a challenge that the coaching and performance support structure must address going forward.
Next Up: 25m Pistol with Rahi Sarnobat
Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh will next compete in the 25m pistol event alongside 2018 Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat. Deo described the trio as 'a great team' and an 'experienced team,' expressing optimism about their medal prospects. The second gold at the Asian Games — following the women's cricket team's title — has given the Indian shooting contingent a fresh sense of momentum heading into the remaining competition days.
Point of View
But it papers over a deeper structural concern: India's pistol squad reached finals and still came away empty-handed in nearly every individual and team event before Friday. The NRAI chief's own admission — 'when you go zero in the finals, it depends on the performance at that time of that athlete' — identifies the problem without offering a solution. Peaking in qualification only to underperform under final-day pressure is a pattern Indian shooting has struggled with across multiple major cycles. The 25m pistol event with Manu, Esha and the experienced Rahi Sarnobat is now a genuine test of whether the camp has a process fix or just a talent dependency.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the Asian Games in Nagoya?
India's Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team final at the Asian Games in Nagoya on 25 September, setting an Asian-record score of 484.6 points.
What was India's overall performance in shooting pistol events at these Asian Games?
India went without a medal in the men's and women's 10m pistol team events and the individual finals before Suruchi and Kamaljeet's mixed team gold. Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the women's individual final, and the women's team narrowly missed bronze, losing out to Vietnam on inner-10s.
What did NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo say about India's shooting campaign?
Kalikesh Singh Deo said the gold was the 'elusive' result India had been waiting for after disappointments in earlier events. He praised Suruchi and Kamaljeet's 'amazing performance' and noted that India had accumulated a good number of medals overall but needed to convert more finals appearances into gold.
Who will compete for India in the 25m pistol event next?
Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh will join 2018 Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat in the 25m pistol event. NRAI president Deo described the trio as an experienced team and expressed confidence in their medal chances.
How many gold medals has India won in shooting at the Asian Games so far?
India had won one gold in shooting — the 10m air pistol mixed team event — by 25 September. Overall at these Asian Games, India's second gold came from the women's cricket team, with the shooting gold arriving through Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet's Asian-record performance.
