India closed its most successful Asian Shooting Championships campaign in history with a spectacular medal haul of 99 podium finishes, including 50 gold, as the continental competition wrapped up in Kazakhstan’s Shymkent on Sunday.
On the final day, veteran shooter Ankur Mittal stole the spotlight by clinching the gold medal in men’s double trap, registering 107 hits across four rounds – a new world record. He finished comfortably ahead of Kazakhstan’s Artyom Chikulayev (98) and Kuwait’s Ahmad Alaffasi (96). Mittal also added a team bronze in the double trap event alongside Bhanu Pratap Singh and Harshvardhan Kaviya.
India’s remarkable performance ensured a top finish in the overall medal standings, with hosts Kazakhstan in second and China in third. The tally also marked a massive improvement from India’s 64 medals at the previous edition in South Korea.
Star Performances on Final Day
- Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu struck gold in the 25m centre fire pistol, scoring 583 to edge past South Korea’s Lee Jaekyoon (580) and Iran’s Javad Foroughi (579). Alongside Gurpreet Singh and Ankur Goel, Sandhu powered India to a team gold with 1,733 points.
- In women’s 50m rifle prone, Manini Kaushik bagged a bronze medal with 617.8 points. Although India’s Sift Kaur Samra and South Korea’s Yelin Choi finished higher, they were competing only for ranking points and were ineligible for medals. Kaushik, joined by Surabhi Bhardwaj and Vidarsa Vinod, also secured a team silver.
- India completely dominated the women’s double trap, with Anushka Singh Bhati (93), Rajkuwar Pranil Ingle (89), and Yeshaya Hafiz Contractor (87) completing a historic clean sweep of gold, silver, and bronze. The trio also combined to secure team gold in the discipline.
Other Major Highlights of India’s Campaign
- Elavenil Valarivan shone in the rifle events, winning women’s 10m air rifle gold and a mixed team gold with Arjun Babuta.
- Sift Kaur Samra emerged as a double champion in the 50m rifle 3 positions, claiming both individual and team gold.
- In pistol events, Gurpreet Singh and Amanpreet Singh dominated the 25m standard pistol, winning individual and team gold.
- Shotgun events saw strong finishes, with Neeru Dhanda clinching the women’s trap gold and Anantjeet Singh Naruka topping the men’s skeet podium.
Junior and Youth Success
India’s young shooters also made a statement at the Asian Junior Shooting Championships, held alongside the senior competition. The juniors contributed a rich haul across multiple categories, with standout performances from Kapil Bainsla, Rashmika Sahgal, Abhinav Shaw, and Mansi Raghuwanshi, among others.
From sweeping podiums to setting world records, India’s shooters delivered across age groups and disciplines, cementing the country’s dominance in Asian shooting.
With 99 medals, including 50 gold, 27 silver, and 22 bronze, India has now set a new benchmark in continental shooting, raising hopes for even greater success at upcoming world events and the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle.
