In an electrifying display of marksmanship and unshakable temperament, India's Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet captured the nation's first shooting gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, setting a brand-new Asian Games and Asian Record score of 484.6 in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team final.
The Indian duo dominated the gold medal match from the opening series. Suruchi, the 20-year-old talent from Jhajjar, Haryana, who transitioned to shooting after an injury cut short her wrestling ambitions, delivered a masterclass in stability with consecutive high-10 strings.
Kamaljeet, 23, from Rewari, Haryana, who famously continued his marksmanship drills during post-accident recovery by mounting target papers on his bedroom wall, fired clutch inner-ten bullseyes in the decisive rounds to push India's aggregate beyond the previous Asian record of 481.3 held by Uzbekistan.
The Indian pair finished comfortably ahead of South Korea's Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo, who claimed the silver medal with 478.0 points, while Iran took bronze with 415.8 points.
NRAI President Kalikesh Singh Deo hailed the performance: 'Suruchi and Kamaljeet demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Overcoming individual setbacks earlier in the Games to deliver an Asian record in the mixed team final shows the world-class mental conditioning of our national squad.'
"Standing on the firing line representing India, every single decimal counts. Kamaljeet and I backed our technique under the clock, and setting the Asian record of 484.6 is the reward for years of silent training."
KEY HIGHLIGHTS & COMPETITION TAKEAWAYS
- 🎯 Suruchi Singh (20) and Kamaljeet (23) captured India's first shooting gold medal at the Asian Games.
- 🎯 Set a new Asian Games and Asian Record score of 484.6, shattering the previous mark of 481.3 held by Uzbekistan.
- 🎯 Defeated South Korea's Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo (478.0) by a decisive 6.6-point margin.
- 🎯 Suruchi transitioned to shooting after a collarbone wrestling injury, while Kamaljeet overcame severe accident rehabilitation.