After twelve thrilling competition days, the 16th Asian Shooting Championship (all events) in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, came to an end.
The Indian team achieved its best-ever performance, finishing with an unprecedented 50 gold medals to top the tally, which was also a first for the premier continental championship.
The senior team’s performance in the 15 Olympic rifle, pistol, and shotgun events was especially impressive.
Indian shooters took home six gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, trailing only the world’s top-seeded China, which took home eight gold, and the host nation, Kazakhstan, took home the other medal.
“It’s a fantastic result, and it’s obvious that our performance at the Olympics in Paris has greatly increased the shooting ecosystem’s confidence. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), expressed his satisfaction with the juniors’ performance, saying, “It’s particularly pleasing, which tells you that Indian shooting has just begun and greater things are sure to come in the near future.”
India finished the tournament with 50 gold medals, 26 silver, and 23 bronze, falling just shy of the 100-medal milestone. China finished third overall with 15 gold and 37 medals, while the hosts came in second with 70 medals and 21 gold.
The highlights of the senior’s performance included Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar defending his men’s 3P title, Neeru Dhanda winning India’s first Asian championship gold in women’s trap, Sift Kaur Samra winning her first Asian title in women’s 50 rifle 3-position (3P), and two-time Olympian Elavenil Valarivan winning her second Asian title (she won a double gold with Arjun Babuta in the mixed team event) in women’s air rifle with an Asian record score.
Indian junior shooters dominated every Olympic event, taking home 10 gold, four silver, and three bronze medals apiece, demonstrating the breadth of the nation’s shooting prowess.
The remaining gold medals were won in non-Olympic events, team contests, and youth competitions. For instance, Rio Olympian Gurpreet Singh won gold in the men’s 25-meter Standard Pistol event, and former world champion Ankur Mittal set a new world record of 107 to win the men’s Double Trap gold.