Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 29 (ANI): Indian shooter Ashima Ahlawat admitted she is glad with profitable a silver medal however identified that ‘Gold might have been received someplace’, suggesting that the margins weren’t that tough to shut up within the girls’s entice staff occasion on the Asian Games 2026. She felt the gold was inside attain after India completed three factors forward of bronze medallists Kuwait.
Ashima, who teamed up with Neeru Dhanda and Manisha Keer, stated the slender margin left her with combined emotions regardless of India’s podium end.
‘Yes, there may be satisfaction however not that a lot happiness as a result of the gold might have been received someplace; the margins weren’t that massive. I imply, we might have lined it up, however nonetheless, getting a silver medal brings happiness. But there may be additionally a unhappiness that the gold did not come,’ she advised ANI after securing the staff medal.
The Indian trio completed with a mixed rating of 328 factors, with China taking gold with 346 and Kuwait claiming bronze with 325. Neeru was India’s prime performer with 118 factors from 125, whereas Ashima and Manisha contributed 106 and 104 respectively. Neeru went on to win the person girls’s entice gold medal after that.
Ashima, who turned 23 on Sunday, stated the climate situations, significantly the rain, made the competitors difficult however praised the Indian shooters for transferring up the leaderboard.
‘It was very up and down; it wasn’t straightforward. Our lead was going up and down so much. And even at the moment, as a result of it has been raining since morning, so many nations had a nasty run, however we Indians, all of us managed to carry out on this climate. So, yesterday we have been in third place; at the moment we climbed the leaderboard and acquired our silver medal,’ stated Ahlawat.
The silver medal additionally introduced aid after what Ashima described as a tough keep in Japan, with the shooter saying the medal allowed the staff to place these issues behind them.
‘It [medal] is paying off. We have confronted so many difficulties since we got here right here to Japan as a result of the organisation was not that good. But by some means a medal has come, so we will neglect all these issues and transfer ahead,’ she stated.
Despite the frustration of lacking out on gold, Ashima stated she was grateful that the staff didn’t return empty-handed.
‘There is, after all, a satisfaction that we aren’t going empty-handed from the Asian Games. We have a silver medal in our palms, however there may be disappointment together with it too,’ stated Ahlawat.
Ashima devoted the medal to her mom and stated she deliberate to have fun with family and friends earlier than taking a much-needed break.
‘I want to dedicate this medal to my mother,’ she stated.
She additionally revealed her first cheat meal after the Games could be palak patta chaat.
Ashima credited the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the nationwide federation and TOPS for his or her help through the staff’s preparations.
‘SAI gave plenty of help. SAI, our federation, and TOPS, we acquired plenty of help in coaching as nicely, in camps too. So there was no lack in that. That’s why we’re so disenchanted that regardless of all of the preparation we did, we could not carry out in addition to we had hoped,’ she concluded. (ANI)