India’s Suruchi Inder Singh and Kamaljeet won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 25, delivering India’s first shooting gold of the Games and its second gold medal overall.
The duo scored 484.6 points in the final, beating South Korea’s Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo, who finished with 478.0, by 6.6 points. The victory was particularly striking because Kamaljeet had replaced Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve as Suruchi’s designated partner after the men’s qualification round, following his 580-point performance that placed him ninth.
The newly formed pair topped qualification with 587 points before maintaining their lead throughout the final. Their 484.6 also broke the previous Asian record of 481.3 set by Uzbekistan’s Mukhammad Kamalov and Nigina Saidkulova earlier this year.
Suruchi, who had finished 26th in her individual event, credited her ability to manage pressure to advice from her mother, while Kamaljeet said he focused on enjoying the moment rather than putting himself under pressure. Her coach Suresh Singh said, “Final mein gayi, to gold hi layegi” after her triumph. NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo also hailed the result, saying Indian shooting has a “very bright future”.
Last-Minute Pairing Pays Off
The gold medal emerged from a late change to India’s mixed-team combination. Suruchi was initially scheduled to compete alongside Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, but Kamaljeet’s performance in the men’s 10m air pistol qualification prompted the National Rifle Association of India to reshuffle the pairing.
Kamaljeet shot 580 to finish ninth, narrowly missing the individual final, while Uchaganve finished 35th with 568. The change meant Suruchi and Kamaljeet had little time to settle into a partnership before competing for a medal.
The decision produced an immediate result. The pair topped the mixed-team qualification with 587 points, including 29 inner 10s, securing their place in the four-team medal round. In the final, they opened with 103.0 and remained ahead through successive stages, reaching 202.4 and then 303.5.
They extended their lead to 364.7 and 424.9 before finishing on 484.6. South Korea challenged strongly but could not overturn the deficit, while Iran took bronze with 415.8. India eventually finished 6.6 points clear of the Koreans.
For both shooters, the victory also represented a rapid turnaround. Kamaljeet had missed the men’s individual final by a single point, while Suruchi finished 26th in her individual qualification. Yet, when paired together, they produced the strongest performance of India’s 10m air pistol campaign. Suruchi later said she and Kamaljeet were determined to win gold, adding that she was happy that India’s first shooting gold of the Games had come through her.
From Individual Setbacks To Gold
The Asian Games medal adds another chapter to Suruchi’s rapid rise in international shooting. The 19-year-old Haryana shooter had a breakthrough 2025 season, winning four individual World Cup gold medals, including victories in Buenos Aires, Munich, Lima and Doha. She also won the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, underlining her credentials before arriving at the Asian Games.
Her individual campaign in Aichi-Nagoya, however, did not go as planned. She finished 26th in the women’s 10m air pistol qualification and missed the final. Her coach Suresh Singh nevertheless backed her ability to recover, telling reporters after the mixed-team gold, “Final mein gayi, to gold hi layegi.” Suruchi then returned to the range with Kamaljeet and produced a record-breaking performance.
Kamaljeet’s story is also one of persistence. After missing the individual final despite shooting 580, he said he tried to focus on enjoying the mixed-team final rather than allowing the pressure of an Asian Games medal to affect him. “I am still just an athlete,” he said, describing the medal as the result of the hard work he had put in over seven years.
The result also came at an important point in India’s shooting campaign. The country had collected several shooting medals at the Games but had not yet won gold in the sport. Suruchi and Kamaljeet ended that wait with a performance that surpassed Uzbekistan’s previous Asian record of 481.3. Their 484.6 was also reported to be just a few points away from the world record.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet’s Asian Games gold is a reminder that sporting success is rarely defined by one disappointing performance. Both shooters had missed their individual finals, yet they returned to the range, adapted to an unexpected partnership and produced a record-breaking result. Their journey also highlights the importance of preparation, coaching, family support and the ability to handle pressure without allowing setbacks to define the next opportunity.
Kamaljeet’s emphasis on enjoying the moment and Suruchi’s acknowledgment of her mother’s advice show that elite sport is not only about technical precision but also about resilience and perspective. NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo described the result as evidence that Indian shooting has a “very bright future”.
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