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India has fielded 164-member contingent in the ongoing Asian Shooting Championships, reportedly the largest in the tournament. Showcasing a blend of experienced shooters and emerging talent, Indians are showcasing their prowess across rifle, pistol and shotgun events. With a total of 18 medals (7 gold, 3 silver, 8 bronze), India stands second in the medal tally, trailing only China, who have secured 23 medals (13 gold, 9 silver, 1 bronze). Kazakhstan, the host nation, is placed third with 7 medals. After the gold medal bearing bouts of Elavenil Valarivan, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Anantjeet Singh Naruka, National Games champion Neeru Dhanda has been a bearer of good news.
Indian shooter Neeru Dhanda delivered a stellar performance to clinch the gold medal in the women’s trap event at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships. Her commanding score of 43 out of 50 in the final secured India’s seventh gold medal in the senior events. The Indian women’s trap team, comprising Neeru, Aashima Ahlawat, and Preeti Rajak, also bagged a gold medal. On the other hand, double Olympic medallist, Manu Bhaker missed out on a podium finish, as she finished fourth in the women’s 25m pistol competition. She shot 25, four less than Vietnam's bronze medallist Thu Vinh Trinh (29). The Indian trio of Manu, Esha Singh and Simranpreet Kaur Brar won the team bronze with an aggregate score of 1749.
Aashima Ahlawat secures bronze medal in individual women’s trap event
Aashima Ahlawat complemented Neeru’s gold with a bronze medal in the individual women’s trap event. Scoring 29 in the final, she reportedly gave a notable performance in the presence of seasoned shooters like Lebanon’s Ray Bassil, who finished just ahead of her. In the women’s 10m air pistol event, Manu Bhaker won bronze with a score of 219.7, only finishing behind China’s Ma Qianke (243.2) and South Korea’s Yang Ji-in (241.6).
The women’s 10m air pistol team, comprising Manu, Palak Gulia, and Suruchi Singh, also secured bronze with a score of 1730, trailing China and South Korea. In the mixed 10m air pistol team event, Suruchi Singh and Saurabh Chaudhary clinched bronze, defeating Chinese Taipei with a combined score of 17 points in the medal match.
The men’s 10m air pistol team, featuring Anmol Jain, Aditya Malra, and Saurabh Chaudhary, won silver with a score of 1735, narrowly trailing China. In the men’s skeet event, Anantjeet Singh Naruka clinched gold with a score of 57. In the mixed skeet team event, Ganemat Sekhon and Abhay Singh Sekhon secured a bronze medal, defeating Kuwait 39-37 in a tightly contested match. In the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar claimed gold with a score of 462.
The Indian team, consisting of Aishwary, Chain Singh, and Akhil Sheoran, also won the gold medal. As the championships concludes on August 30, 2025, India’s shooters will look to build on this momentum, with their sights set on future international competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 LA Olympics.
