Young Indian shooting squad aims to extend Asian Games success
Bharatmorning.com – India’s rifle and pistol shooters will enter the upcoming Asian Games with the memory of Hangzhou still fresh and a largely new group ready to shoulder the challenge. The 2023 edition marked a major step forward for Indian shooting, producing 22 medals: seven gold, nine silver and six bronze. It was the country’s strongest double-digit return since the 14 medals won at the 2006 Doha Games, with the 2018 Jakarta programme limited to mixed-team events.
That performance made shooting one of the principal drivers of India’s push beyond 100 medals in Hangzhou. Reproducing that scale will be demanding, particularly because only six members of the previous rifle and pistol contingent are returning. Yet the current selection combines proven international competitors with 10 athletes preparing for their first Asian Games.
Experience remains central to the campaign
Rifle shooters Rudrankksh Patil, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Ashi Chouksey return after competing in Hangzhou. The pistol group retains Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh and Anish Bhanwala. Their experience is expected to matter not only in individual events but also in team competitions, where scores from three shooters can determine the medal order.
The newcomers include the entire men’s 10m air pistol line-up of Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, Aakash Bharadwaj and Kamaljeet. Parth Mane and Himanshu Dhillon are new faces in the men’s air rifle team, while Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa K Vinod join the women’s air rifle group. Niraj Kumar and Tilottama Sen are set for rifle 3 positions, and Suruchi Singh arrives as one of the most closely watched young pistol shooters.
National rifle coach Deepali Deshpande believes the team has the depth to improve its gold-medal tally.
“This time, the number of gold should be better. We have a strong team overall, especially our pistol women’s and 3P men’s teams are really very strong,” said Deshpande.
Women’s pistol team brings form and pedigree
Suruchi’s recent rise has added considerable strength to the women’s pistol group. She won 10m gold at the Munich World Cup, where Esha Singh took silver in the same event. Esha also set a world record in the 25m discipline during that competition.
Manu Bhaker, a double medallist at the Paris Olympics, joins them in a line-up that carries both current form and major-event experience. Bhaker and Esha will also compete in the 25m pistol event alongside Rahi Sarnobat, who won Asian Games gold in 2018.
On paper, the women’s pistol team has several routes to the podium across 10m and 25m events. Its prospects will be closely linked to converting strong qualification scores into final-round composure, an area in which Bhaker’s Olympic experience could prove particularly valuable.
Men’s 3P unit expected to carry a large share of responsibility
The men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team is another key medal prospect. Tomar and Patil bring experience from the previous Asian Games cycle, and their presence gives India a steadier core in one of shooting’s most physically and mentally demanding events.
In 3P, competitors shoot from kneeling, prone and standing positions, requiring consistency across three distinct stages rather than a single sequence. The event rewards technical control over a long contest, while team results place added value on every shooter’s contribution.
Deshpande said established shooters can ease the burden on athletes entering the continental stage for the first time.
“Though our sport is very individual, it matters who stands alongside you as part of the team. Otherwise, when everyone is as young or new as you, there’s a lot of pressure and responsibility on your shoulders,” she said.
The air rifle newcomers have already been introduced to international competition. Himanshu Dhillon, Parth Mane and Vidarsa K Vinod may be making their Asian Games debuts, but Deshpande believes their competitive level is comparable with the rest of the squad.
“Himanshu, Parth, Vidarsa, they may be new to the Asian Games, but when it comes to their level, they are on a par with everyone. Our idea to give them exposure in World Cups was to make them shoot in different situations and conditions and help break those barriers,” she said.
World Cup programme used to test emerging talent
India’s selectors and coaches have spent roughly the past year and a half creating “A” and “B” teams, giving a wider group of shooters opportunities at World Cups. The approach has been designed to assess talent under international pressure while broadening the pool available for major championships.
Across three World Cups this year, Indian shooters collected one medal in Granada, four in Munich and four in Hangzhou. Suruchi, Esha and Sainyam Vij were the individual medal winners, all in pistol events. Sonam and Himanshu added a bronze in the 10m air rifle mixed-team competition in Hangzhou, while three other medals came in mixed-team events.
The medal totals alone do not tell the full story of the programme. For the coaching staff, those events were also a chance to observe newer competitors in unfamiliar ranges, different conditions and high-pressure qualification rounds. Such exposure is intended to make an Asian Games debut less daunting when the stakes rise.
“We were observing everyone, especially the newcomers, on how they handled situations, reacted to international arenas and other such aspects,” said Deshpande. “I think all that exposure will definitely translate into results at the Asian Games.”
The continental competition also has importance beyond its immediate medal count. It forms part of the build-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, for which quota competitions will begin soon after the Asian Games. A successful campaign would therefore strengthen confidence in both India’s current medal contenders and the younger shooters being developed for the next Olympic cycle.
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