Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Naruka and Dhaliwal Win Historic Asian Games Skeet Bronze
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal are Indian skeet shooters.
They competed together in a mixed team event at the Asian Games.
They started badly and scored 44 out of 50 in their first qualification round.
Instead of giving up, they encouraged each other to keep trying.
They then hit 47 targets in each of the next two rounds.
Their total score put them into the final.
They won the bronze medal, giving India its first medal in Asian Games mixed team skeet.
China won gold and Korea won silver.
Both shooters now have two medals at these Games.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal won India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the skeet mixed team event.
After opening qualification with 44 out of 50, India hit 47 targets in each of the next two rounds to total 138.
The result secured India the fourth and final place in the four-team final, where China won gold and Korea took silver.
Naruka and Dhaliwal credited persistence, mutual encouragement, coaches and maintaining their shooting rhythm for the comeback.
The bronze gave both shooters two medals at the Games, while Naruka’s next assignment is the World Championships in Doha.
- Who
- Indian shooters Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal.
- What
- They won India’s first-ever Asian Games bronze medal in the skeet mixed team event.
- When
- Thursday, September 24, 2026.
- Where
- The Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range in Japan, near Nagoya.
- Why
- They recovered from a poor opening qualification round through persistence, mutual support and improved scores.
Teamwork and Shared Support
Individual Focus and Technique
What drove the medal
Teamwork and Shared Support
Naruka and Dhaliwal said they encouraged each other, kept fighting after the poor start and benefited from a positive team environment.
Individual Focus and Technique
Dhaliwal said skeet is mostly an individual sport, so each shooter needed to focus on their own technique and shot rather than worry about the teammate’s performance.
How close India was to a higher medal
Teamwork and Shared Support
Coach Riccardo Filippelli said the pair held their composure and shot well after the first qualification round, showing they were competitive.
Individual Focus and Technique
Filippelli said China was stronger and that India would have won silver only if not for its lower qualification ranking in the tie with Korea.
- Medal
- Bronze in the skeet mixed team event
- Historical significance
- India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in this event
- Qualification start
- 44 out of 50 targets in the opening round
- Qualification finish
- 47 targets in each of the next two rounds, for a total of 138
- Final standings
- China won gold, Korea won silver and India won bronze
- Medals at the Games
- Naruka and Dhaliwal each won two medals
- Next assignment
- Naruka is scheduled to compete at the World Championships in Doha
