India’s shooting squad punched a punch at the Asian Games, ending up second on the medal table with 15 trophies – 3 golds, 8 silvers and 4 bronzes – just 13 behind China’s 28‑medal haul. Suruchi Phogat’s gold in the mixed‑team air pistol snapped the medal drought that left the men’s and women’s air pistol events empty‑handed.
The lack of medals in air pistol was the sharpest blow. Kalikesh Singh Deo, NRAI president, called the result "decent" but admitted the squad’s instability, citing a constantly shifting roster that prevents shooters from building experience. The policy of sending two teams to international events has now exposed 10‑15 shooters to global competition.
Kalikesh said the men’s squad “has to work with a larger pool of athletes, perhaps even beyond the core team.” He added that the federation is waiting for the World Championships to finish before making further changes, so as not to disrupt the high‑performance coaching structure.
Suruchi’s win is a bright spot amid the disappointment, and the mixed‑team gold illustrates the potential when India’s top shooters are combined. The air pistol coaching staff will need to harvest talent from the new cohort of 10‑15 shooters who now have international experience.
With the Asian Games over, the focus is shifting to the upcoming World Championships, where the men’s air pistol team will need to prove its mettle.