Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh strike gold in 10m air pistol mixed team at Asian Games 2026
India's Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh won gold in the mixed team 10m air pistol final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday, adding another shooting title to the country's campaign and turning around what had been a difficult outing for both athletes in their individual events.
The Indian pair had topped the qualification round with a combined score of 587, a total that included 29 inner 10s — shots that land closest to the centre of the target — and then held their form through the final to finish at the top of the standings.
The gold followed disappointment for both shooters in their individual competitions, making the mixed team result a measure of recovery as much as of form. The mixed team format pairs a male and a female shooter from the same country, with each firing 30 shots in qualification before the pair compete together in the final. It was introduced at the Asian Games in 2018 and has since become one of the most closely followed events on the shooting programme.
India's shooters are not finished yet. A.P.S. Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil and Niraj Kumar will represent the country in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions, in both the individual and team competitions. The event, in which shooters fire from kneeling, prone and standing positions, is among the most physically and mentally demanding on the schedule.
Seram Nirupama Devi will be in contention for a medal in the women's 64kg weightlifting event.
India's athletics team had made a strong start to its campaign at the Games a day earlier, winning two medals. The mixed 4x400m relay team took silver, while Seema Kumari won bronze in the women's 10,000m — India's first athletics medal of these Games.
India's medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games now reads two gold, eight silver and nine bronze.
The 2026 Asian Games, the 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event, are being held across Aichi and Nagoya in Japan. For India, shooting has historically been among the most productive disciplines, and the results in Japan will be followed closely as the sport's international calendar moves through the current Olympic cycle.
Friday's result was built on precision rather than a large margin. The 29 inner 10s recorded in qualification reflect the fine margins that separate the leading teams in air pistol, where a single ring can decide a medal. Kamaljeet and Suruchi carried that accuracy into the final, where the pressure of a head-to-head format places additional demands on shooters who have already competed in individual events earlier in the week.
India will look to build on the result in the remaining shooting events, with the men's 50m rifle 3 positions offering further opportunities in both the individual and team categories. The weightlifting competition will also draw attention, with Seram Nirupama Devi carrying India's hopes in the women's 64kg class.
