By Vipul Kashyap
Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 21 (ANI): National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo lauded the Indian capturing contingent for its sturdy begin on the Asian Games 2026 and expressed confidence that the shooters can add a number of extra medals within the remaining occasions.
India have thus far secured 5 medals in capturing on the continental occasion, with 4 silver and one bronze. Elavenil Valarivan received silver within the girls’s 10m air rifle, whereas India’s males’s 10m air rifle staff additionally claimed silver. Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil subsequently added silver and bronze, respectively, within the particular person occasion.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, Kalikesh mentioned the contingent had made an encouraging begin however nonetheless had loads of alternatives forward.
‘Well, it has been a great begin for Indian capturing. Two days and 5 medals, with Elavenil profitable silver yesterday within the girls’s 10 meters and the staff profitable silver as we speak within the males’s staff once more. And Himanshu with a silver and Rudrankksh with a bronze,’ he mentioned.
‘I believe it is an excellent begin. I believe the perfect is but to come back. Many extra days of capturing are nonetheless left, and just about in each self-discipline, we now have the potential of getting medals. So I’m hopeful that more–many extra medals are to come back,’ he added.
The Indian capturing contingent had additionally confronted challenges associated to lodging and journey throughout its keep in Japan. However, Kalikesh praised the shooters for remaining centered regardless of the difficulties.
‘Look, I believe our shooters are a troublesome bunch. They’re younger, they’re pushed, they’re skilled, they usually’re capable of overcome any impediment which is thrown at them. I believe Indian capturing has an extended approach to go, and I’m very, very lucky to be part of that total set-up,’ the NRAI President mentioned.
Looking forward, Kalikesh highlighted India’s medal potential throughout the varied capturing disciplines on the Games.
‘Pretty a lot in each self-discipline. We have six disciplines beneath rifle, pistol, and shotgun, and women and men in every; that is 12, and a few blended staff occasions. I believe in just about each self-discipline, we now have the potential of getting medals, and I’m very hopeful we get many extra,’ he added.
Meanwhile, India loved a robust day on the Asian Games 2026, securing extra medals throughout capturing and blended martial arts, whereas athletes additionally progressed to finals in swimming and registered wins in boxing, tender tennis and desk tennis.
In capturing, Himanshu received silver and Rudrankksh secured bronze within the males’s 10m air rifle particular person closing. Earlier, Rudrankksh and Himanshu had certified for the ultimate after ending third and seventh respectively, whereas Parth Mane completed eleventh. The Indian trio had additionally received silver within the staff occasion.
In blended martial arts, Suchika Tariyal secured a bronze medal after dropping to Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon within the girls’s conventional 60kg semifinal.
In boxing, Sumit defeated Thailand’s Bunjong Sinsiri within the males’s 70kg Round of 32 bout to advance within the competitors.
Soft tennis noticed Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena document wins over Cambodia and Mongolia of their blended doubles Group B matches. They additionally misplaced to South Korea’s Kim Yeon-hwa and Jaekyu Park earlier than struggling defeat in opposition to the Philippines’ Christy Sanosa and Sherwin Nuguit within the spherical of 16.
In swimming, Srihari Nataraj superior to the boys’s 50m backstroke closing, with Rishabh Das named as reserve. Mani Akash and Gitesh Shah missed out on the boys’s 50m freestyle closing, whereas Dhanush Suresh did not qualify for the boys’s 100m breaststroke closing.
In wushu, Nyeman Wangsu completed fifteenth within the girls’s Changquan closing. In desk tennis, India defeated Pakistan 3-0 within the girls’s staff Group F match. India, nonetheless, suffered a setback in sepaktakraw, dropping to Japan within the males’s staff regu Group B match. (ANI)