Asian Shooting dominance continues with India’s golden run
Asian Shooting competitions once again turned into a celebration of India’s shooting talent as the country bagged multiple medals, showcasing strength in both team and individual categories. On the penultimate day of the continental championship held in Shymkent, India’s shooters displayed commanding performances, particularly in the non-Olympic disciplines.
Veteran pistol shooter Gurpreet Singh led the way in the men’s 25m centre fire pistol event. A day after winning gold in the 25m standard pistol individual event, he joined forces with Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu and Ankur Goel to secure the team gold medal. The trio put up an aggregate of 1733 points, comfortably outscoring Vietnam (1720) and Iran (1700), who settled for silver and bronze respectively.
For Gurpreet, it was another reminder of his consistency and class. At 37, the experienced Army shooter combined precision and rapid scores to finish with 579 points, while Sandhu’s 583 and Ankur’s 571 ensured India finished on top. This back-to-back success confirmed India’s dominance in events that, while non-Olympic, still hold immense prestige at the continental level.
Manini Kaushik’s breakthrough moment at Asian Shooting
The spotlight also fell on Manini Kaushik, a young rifle shooter from Jaipur, who clinched her first-ever individual international medal. Competing in the women’s 50m rifle prone event, Manini shot a total of 617.8 points, securing the bronze medal. The gold and silver went to South Korea’s Hana Im and Eunseo Lee, who both produced high-quality performances with identical scores of 620.2.
Interestingly, Manini had initially finished fifth in the qualification chart. However, since two of the shooters ahead of her India’s Sift Kaur Samra and South Korea’s Yelin Choi—were competing in the ‘Ranking Points Only’ (RPO) category, their names were excluded from the medals tally. That moved Manini into third place, officially awarding her the bronze.
Her individual medal was not the only highlight of her day. Earlier, she played a crucial role in guiding India to a team silver medal in the same event. Along with teammates Surabhi Bharadwaj and Vinod Vidarsa, the trio combined to score 1846 points, finishing behind South Korea, who secured gold with 1856.8. Kazakhstan earned the bronze with 1828.2 points.
For Manini, the achievement marks a major step forward in her international career. Known primarily for competing in the 50m rifle 3 positions event, her success in the prone category adds another dimension to her growing profile.
Strong performances from India’s junior shooters
India’s medal haul at the Asian Shooting event was further boosted by its juniors. Prachi Gaikwad, competing in the junior women’s 50m rifle prone, captured the silver medal with a score of 616.6. The gold went to South Korea’s Sehee Oh, while Kazakhstan’s Sofya Malkina picked up bronze.
Prachi, alongside Anushka Thokur and Tejal Nathawat, also helped India to a team bronze with an aggregate of 1823.4 points. South Korea topped the standings once again with 1844, followed by Kazakhstan with 1830.1.
These results highlighted the depth of India’s shooting talent across age groups. From seasoned campaigners like Gurpreet Singh to emerging names like Manini and Prachi, Indian shooting continues to show balance between experience and youth. Also Read: Sreesanth His Wife Slams Lalit Modi Over Harbhajan Slap Video: Fresh Storm 16 Years Later
Conclusion
The Asian Shooting Championship 2025 has been a memorable outing for India so far, with gold, silver, and bronze medals spread across categories. Gurpreet Singh’s leadership in pistol events and Manini Kaushik’s breakthrough bronze in rifle shooting underline India’s growing dominance beyond Olympic disciplines. With young shooters like Prachi Gaikwad also rising on the international stage, the future of Indian shooting looks promising.
