In a significant achievement for Indian shooting, athletes Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil clinched the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the Asian Games 2026, held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The final took place on September 21, where the competition was fierce, culminating in a closely contested match against China’s Sheng Lihao, who took home the gold medal.

Rudrankksh began the final with a strong performance, leading after the first series with a score of 52.8, subsequently extending his advantage to 53.2 in the second series. His consistent scoring allowed him to pull ahead by 1.1 points. Meanwhile, Himanshu was also in strong contention and briefly disrupted the leaderboard, moving into second place as the competition heated up.

At the halfway mark, the scenario became increasingly tight as Rudrankksh led with 127.4 points, followed closely by Himanshu at 126.6 and Sheng at 126.3. As the event progressed, Sheng emerged as a formidable competitor, advancing to take the lead after 16 shots.

Details of the Final Rounds

The competition intensified as each shooter pursued their goals in the final rounds. After 20 shots, Sheng maintained his lead with a score of 211.8, Rudrankksh closely trailing with 210.6 and Himanshu following behind at 210.0. As the contest neared its conclusion, a dramatic shift occurred, leading to the elimination of Rudrankksh after 22 shots, finishing with a score of 230.9, just 0.1 points behind Himanshu, who concluded with 231.0.

In the decisive moments, both Himanshu and Sheng recorded a score of 10.6 in their final shots. However, Sheng ultimately won the gold medal with an aggregate score of 233.0, while Himanshu secured the silver, marking a remarkable achievement for the Indian team in this event.

This success in the men’s 10m air rifle individual event highlights India’s growing reputation in shooting sports at international competitions, as both Dhillon and Patil celebrated their medals on the podium.

Additional Performances by Indian Athletes at the Asian Games

India’s representation at the Asian Games 2026 has been marked by varied performances across multiple sports. In soft tennis, the duo of Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena began their mixed doubles campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Cambodia’s team and later claimed another victory against Mongolia. Despite experiencing a setback against South Korea, their overall performance secured them a spot in the round of 16.

In addition, the Indian shooting team comprising Rudrankksh Patil, Parth Mane, and Himanshu Dhillon won a silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event. Their collective score of 1890.1 placed them behind China’s score of 1899.0, while South Korea secured the bronze with 1841.4 points. This was India’s third silver medal in shooting at the ongoing tournament.

In swimming, athlete Srihari Nataraj progressed to the men’s 50m backstroke final, while his teammate Rishabh Das served as the reserve. Other swimmers, including Mani Akash and Gitesh Shah, were unable to qualify for their respective finals. In table tennis, the Indian women’s team achieved a notable 3-0 victory against Pakistan in their group match, contributing to India’s diverse medal hopes across sports at the ongoing event.

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