Asian Games 2026: President Murmu hails historic skeet bronze duo and Seema's 10,000m medal
Synopsis
India's 2026 Asian Games campaign hit two historic milestones on Thursday — shooters Naruka and Parinaaz claimed the country's first-ever skeet mixed team medal, while runner Seema Kumari ended a 16-year wait for an Indian women's 10,000m podium. President Murmu personally congratulated all three athletes on X.
Key Takeaways
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal won India's first-ever bronze in the skeet mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan.
The pair finished with 44 hits from 48 shots , level with South Korea, but secured bronze on the tie-breaker; China took gold with 45 hits .
Seema Kumari clocked 32:50.05 to win bronze in the women's 10,000m , ending India's 16-year wait for a medal in the event.
Seema is only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games 10,000m medal, after Preeja Sreedharan (gold, 2010) and Kavita Raut (silver, 2010).
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated all three athletes in posts on X on 24 September 2026 .
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, 24 September 2026, congratulated shooters Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal and long-distance runner Seema Kumari after the trio claimed bronze medals for India at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The recognitions mark two landmark moments in Indian sport — a first-ever skeet mixed team medal and the end of a 16-year wait in the women's 10,000m.
Historic Skeet Mixed Team Bronze
Naruka and Parinaaz became the first Indian pair to win a medal in the skeet mixed team event at the Asian Games, finishing with 44 hits from 48 shots in the final. They ended level with South Korea, but Korea took silver on the tie-breaker based on qualifying scores. China claimed gold with 45 hits.
The Indian duo produced a flawless eight from eight in their final series to lock in the bronze. President Murmu acknowledged their achievement in a post on X, writing: 'The duo displayed excellent teamwork and consistency, adding to India's strong performance in Skeet at the Games.'
What President Murmu Said
In her post congratulating the shooting pair, President Murmu wrote: 'My heartiest congratulations to Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anantjeet Singh Naruka on winning the Bronze Medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the Asian Games 2026. This is India's first-ever medal in the Skeet Mixed Team event at the Asian Games. My best wishes to both of you for many more successes in the years ahead.'
Separately, she congratulated Seema Kumari, writing: 'Your remarkable performance has ended India's 16-year wait for a medal in this event. This is a memorable milestone in your sporting journey and a moment of immense pride.'
Seema Kumari Ends India's 16-Year Drought in Women's 10,000m
Seema Kumari clocked 32:50.05 to finish third in the women's 10,000m, behind Bahrain's Winfred Yavi, who won gold in 32:39.18, and Japan's Nozomi Tanaka, who took silver in 32:41.54. Seema led the field through the opening 2,000m before slipping to fourth as the pace intensified, then surged back into third with 1,000m remaining and held on for the medal.
With this win, Seema became only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the women's 10,000m, joining Preeja Sreedharan, who won gold, and Kavita Raut, who claimed silver — both in 2010. The bronze ends a 16-year medal drought in the event for India.
India's Broader Asian Games Campaign
The back-to-back bronze medals reflect India's continued progress across disciplines at the continental games. Shooting has historically been a strong suit for India, and the skeet mixed team breakthrough widens that footprint further. In athletics, Seema's podium finish signals renewed depth in Indian women's long-distance running — a discipline that last delivered at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
With the 2026 Asian Games still unfolding in Japan, the Indian contingent will look to build on Thursday's performances as more finals are scheduled in the coming days.
Point of View
Each carrying a historic tag, underline how India's multi-sport ambitions are slowly broadening beyond traditional medal-rich disciplines. The skeet mixed team breakthrough is significant not because of the colour of the medal but because of the door it opens — India has long dominated 10m air events but needed proof of range across shooting formats. Seema Kumari's 10,000m podium is equally telling: India's last long-distance medal at the Asiad came 16 years ago, and the gap since has been embarrassing given the country's population base. Whether these are individual peaks or signals of structural depth in athletics and shooting infrastructure is the question that the next cycle — Paris-to-Los Angeles — will answer.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What historic milestone did Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal achieve at the 2026 Asian Games?
The duo won India's first-ever bronze medal in the skeet mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. They finished with 44 hits from 48 shots in the final, level with South Korea, but secured bronze on the tie-breaker while China won gold with 45 hits.
Why is Seema Kumari's bronze medal at Asian Games 2026 significant?
Seema Kumari's bronze in the women's 10,000m ended India's 16-year wait for a medal in the event at the Asian Games, with the last medals coming from Preeja Sreedharan (gold) and Kavita Raut (silver) at the 2010 Guangzhou Games. Seema is now only the third Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the event.
What time did Seema Kumari clock in the women's 10,000m at Asian Games 2026?
Seema Kumari clocked 32:50.05 to finish third. Bahrain's Winfred Yavi won gold in 32:39.18 and Japan's Nozomi Tanaka took silver in 32:41.54.
How did President Droupadi Murmu react to India's Asian Games medals on 24 September 2026?
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated all three athletes — Naruka, Parinaaz, and Seema Kumari — in separate posts on X. She described the skeet bronze as India's first-ever medal in the discipline at the Asian Games and hailed Seema's run as ending a 16-year medal drought.
Which country won gold in the skeet mixed team event at the 2026 Asian Games?
China won gold in the skeet mixed team event with 45 hits. South Korea took silver and India's Naruka-Parinaaz pair claimed bronze with 44 hits after losing the tie-breaker to Korea on qualifying scores.
