New Delhi, 19 September (H.S.): Shooting competitions at the Asian Games 2026 will begin on Sunday, with the Indian shooting contingent entering the competition with a strong combination of experience, international achievements and emerging talent. A total of 30 Indian shooters will represent the country across rifle, pistol and shotgun events.

The Indian team features several shooters who have already achieved success on major international stages, along with a number of young marksmen and women who are making their presence felt in international competitions.

The rifle team comprises experienced international shooters as well as several young athletes who have demonstrated their potential at the global level. World No. 7 Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar will compete in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. Aishwary won a silver medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. He will be joined by Neeraj Kumar in the 50m 3 Positions event. In the women’s competition, Aashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen and Vidharsa K. Vinod will represent India.

Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil is also among the key members of India’s rifle squad. The 2022 world champion will compete in both the 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions events. In the 10m Air Rifle, India will also be represented by Elavenil Valarivan, Parth Rajesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidharsa K. Vinod.

India’s pistol squad features several prominent names from the country’s current shooting programme. Manu Bhaker, who won two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, will compete in both the 10m Air Pistol and 25m Pistol events. She is currently ranked 12th in the world in the 10m Air Pistol. Esha Singh will also compete in both the 10m Air Pistol and 25m Pistol events.

In the 10m Air Pistol, Suruchi, Kamaljeet, Kedarlaling B. Uchaganve and Aakash Bhardwaj will also represent India. Suruchi will additionally compete in the mixed team event. In the 25m Pistol, Manu and Esha will be joined by Rahi, while Anish will compete in the men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event.

World No. 8 Anish will compete in the Rapid Fire Pistol event on September 30 and October 1. The final will be held on October 1.

The shotgun team includes experienced Olympians, Asian Games medallists and shooters who have delivered strong performances in recent international competitions.

In the men’s Trap event, Kynan Darius Chenai, Ahvar Rizvi and Shapath Bharadwaj will represent India. In the women’s event, Ashima Ahlawat, Manisha Keer and Neeru will compete for the country. Chenai won gold in the men’s Trap team event and bronze in the individual Trap event at the 2023 Asian Games. He will compete in both the men’s Trap and Trap mixed team events.

World No. 13 Neeru will enter the Asian Games after winning gold in the women’s Trap event at the 2025 Asian Shooting Championship. She also won gold at the 2026 World Cup in Lonato, Italy.

Anantjeet Singh Naruka will compete in the Skeet and mixed team events. He won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and is also a former Asian champion.

In the men’s Skeet event, Bhaktegh Singh Gill and Mairaj Ahmad Khan will represent India, while Maheshwari Chauhan, Parinaz Dhaliwal and Raiza Dhillon will compete in the women’s Skeet event.

India’s shooting campaign will run from September 20 to October 1. Indian shooters will compete for medals across various individual, team and mixed team events in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.

Ahead of the competition, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said in a statement that India’s shooting contingent for the Asian Games represented a strong blend of experience and young talent. He said the athletes had worked hard throughout the season and were entering the Games with valuable experience gained from the World Cups, World Championships and Asian-level competitions.

He said the Asian Games would provide them with an important opportunity to compete at the highest level and represent the country with confidence and pride. He wished the entire contingent success.

NRAI secretary general Pawan Kumar Singh said the depth of India’s shooting contingent across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines reflected the progress of the sport in the country. He said the team included athletes with experience of major international competitions as well as young shooters who had already demonstrated their ability on the global stage.

He added that the NRAI had worked closely with the athletes and support staff in preparation for the Asian Games. “We hope that once the competitions begin, the entire contingent will translate its preparations into performances,” he said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar