A last-minute team combination proved to be a masterstroke as Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet delivered a record-breaking performance to secure India’s first shooting gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
The Indians shooting duo of Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet helped India secure its first shooting gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games. They teamed up in the mixed 10m air pistol event on Friday, clinching the gold medal and setting a new Asian Games record in the process.
Suruchi and Kamaljeet’s standout performance at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Gallery filled the void of earlier disappointment in the 10m air pistol event. Even Manu Bhaker, India’s biggest medal hopes, had crashed out in the women’s event after finishing fifth.
Interestingly, India’s eventual gold medal-winning duo were not paired together for the mixed team event initially, but a late tactical switch paid rich dividends.
The masterstroke gamble
Kamaljeet was initially not supposed to team up with Suruchi, as Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve was his partner. But everything changed after Thursday’s men’s qualification round, where Kamaljeet was the nation’s best performer in the 10m Air Pistol event with 580 points and finished ninth.
Meanwhile, Kedarling endured a difficult qualification campaign after finishing 35th with 568 points.
Following the men’s qualification round, the National Rifle Association of India decided to pair Suruchi with Kamaljeet over Kedarling. The decision paid off handsomely, as the country won a shooting gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
More from SportsHistory was made after the bold change
Kamaljeet and Suruchi’s singles campaign had disappointing ends, but they kept their morale high in the mixed team event.
The Indian shooting duo seized the early advantage and maintained their dominance throughout, finishing atop the podium with a record-breaking score of 484.6 points in the final.
Kamaljeet and Suruchi maintained an impressive 6.6-point winning margin over second-placed Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo of South Korea, who scored 478.0. Iran claimed bronze with a score of 415.8.