India added another silver medal to its tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on September 21, with Rudrankksh Patil, Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane finishing second in the men’s 10m air rifle team event. The Indian trio scored a combined 1890.1 points at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery, finishing behind China’s Sheng Lihao, Ma Sihan and Zhang Changhong, who won gold with a world-record 1899.0. South Korea took bronze with 1884.2 points.
The medal was India’s third of the Games at that stage, all coming from shooting. Patil and Dhillon also progressed to the individual final after finishing third and seventh respectively in qualification, while 18-year-old Mane finished 10th and narrowly missed the individual final.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the trio, praising their “precision and outstanding performance” and saying their achievement had brought pride to the country. Later on Day 2, Dhillon won silver and Patil bronze in the individual 10m air rifle final, taking India’s shooting medal tally further upwards.
India Finish Behind China
The men’s team event was decided through the aggregate scores recorded by the three-member teams in the qualification round. India produced a combined 1890.1 points, with Patil leading the contingent at 631.8, followed by Dhillon with 630.0 and Mane with 628.3. Their collective effort placed them second behind China, whose 1899.0 points established a new qualification world record. China’s score improved the previous mark of 1898.4 set in Cairo in 2025. South Korea completed the podium with 1884.2 points.
For Patil, the performance added another Asian Games medal to an already significant international career. The former world champion finished third in the individual qualification standings, while Dhillon’s seventh-place finish also secured him a place in the individual final. Mane, competing at his first Asian Games at just 18, missed the individual final but played a crucial role in India’s team result.
Speaking after the event, Mane described the competition as a major learning experience under pressure and said he focused on following his process while contributing to the team medal. He was also scheduled to compete in the mixed team event with Elavenil Valarivan.
President Droupadi Murmu also acknowledged the achievement. In a message congratulating the three shooters, she said their precision and performance had brought “great pride” to the nation and wished them success in their future competitions. The recognition came as India’s shooting contingent continued its strong opening at the Games, following the women’s 10m air rifle team’s silver and Elavenil Valarivan’s individual silver on the previous day.
A Strong Start Continues
The men’s team silver extended India’s early success in shooting at Aichi-Nagoya. A day earlier, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod had won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, before Elavenil added another silver in the individual competition. The men’s result therefore continued a medal-winning start for India’s shooters, with the discipline once again emerging as an important contributor to the country’s Asian Games campaign.
The achievement also highlighted different stages of experience within the Indian team. Patil entered the competition as a former world champion and an established international shooter, while Dhillon was building on his performances at junior and senior ISSF competitions.
Mane, meanwhile, was making his Asian Games debut. His route into shooting began at 13, when his father encouraged him to attend a summer coaching camp. He later moved with his family to Mumbai to access better training opportunities and train under Olympian and coach Suma Shirur. His silver medal therefore came as an important milestone in the early stages of his senior international career.
The men’s team result was followed by another significant development later on Day 2. Dhillon won silver and Patil secured bronze in the individual men’s 10m air rifle final, giving both shooters another podium finish after their contribution to the team silver. China’s Sheng Lihao won the individual gold. The successive results underlined the depth of India’s performance in the event, while also giving the younger members of the contingent valuable experience on one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
India’s early shooting success at the Asian Games is a reminder that sporting achievement is rarely the product of one moment alone. Behind every medal are years of training, coaches, families, sporting institutions and athletes learning to handle pressure while competing alongside some of the strongest names in Asia. The men’s 10m air rifle team silver is particularly notable for bringing together different generations of Indian shooters — from an established world champion in Rudrankksh Patil to young athletes such as Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane beginning to establish themselves at the senior level.
Mane’s emphasis on following his process despite the pressure also offers a useful lesson beyond sport: progress can come from concentrating on preparation, discipline and teamwork rather than only the final result. As India’s campaign continues, how can greater attention and support for emerging athletes help build a stronger sporting culture beyond the medal tally?
Heartiest congratulations to Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Parth Rakesh Mane and Himanshu Dhillon on winning the Silver Medal in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Team event at the Asian Games 2026. Your precision and outstanding performance have brought great pride to the nation. My best…
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 21, 2026
