Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal Win Mixed Team Skeet Bronze at Asian Games 2026

India’s strong run in skeet shooting at the Asian Games 2026 continued on Thursday as Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal clinched the bronze medal in the mixed team skeet event. 

The Indian pair finished third in the medal round with a score of 44, adding another podium finish to the country’s impressive two-day showing in the discipline.

The bronze was India’s third skeet medal in two days, following the men’s and women’s team bronze medals won on Wednesday. Naruka and Dhaliwal were part of those medal-winning teams as well, making Thursday’s result another significant contribution from the two shooters. China won the mixed team skeet gold with a world-record score of 52, while the Republic of Korea took silver with 51.

Naruka and Dhaliwal entered the mixed team competition with the task of making it through the qualification stage and into the medal round. The Indian duo finished fourth in qualification with 138 out of 150. They produced consistent scores across the three qualification rounds, recording 44, 47 and 47 respectively. Their combined total placed them behind Qatar, the Republic of Korea and China.

Qatar topped the qualification standings with 145, followed by South Korea on 143 and China on 140. With the top teams progressing to the medal round, India secured its place in the fight for the podium. The qualification performance also demonstrated the consistency required in mixed team skeet, where both shooters contribute to the combined score across the competition.

India entered the medal round in fourth position but remained firmly within medal contention. Naruka and Dhaliwal maintained their composure through the six-series final, posting scores of 7, 7, 7, 8, 7 and 8. Their final total of 44 was enough to secure the bronze medal. China dominated the medal round, producing a score of 52 to claim gold and establish a new world record. The Republic of Korea finished second with 51 to take silver.

For India, the 44-point effort delivered another medal in a discipline that had already produced two podium finishes the previous day.

Third Skeet Medal for India in Two Days

The mixed team bronze completed a highly productive stretch for India’s skeet shooters. On Wednesday, Naruka helped India’s men’s skeet team win bronze, while Dhaliwal was part of the women’s skeet team that also claimed bronze alongside Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan.

That meant both shooters returned to the podium in the mixed team event a day later. The performances also underlined the depth within India’s skeet contingent, with the country producing medals across both team and mixed team competitions. Naruka had already come close to another individual medal earlier in the competition. He finished fourth in the men’s individual skeet final, narrowly missing the podium.

Dhaliwal also reached the individual final in the women’s competition, finishing eighth among the finalists. The mixed team event therefore provided both shooters with another opportunity to convert their strong tournament form into a medal, and they delivered with a composed performance.

The latest bronze takes India’s skeet medal tally at the Asian Games to three medals in just two days. Naruka has been central to that run, contributing to the men’s team bronze before finishing fourth individually and then partnering Dhaliwal for the mixed team podium finish. Dhaliwal has similarly featured prominently, winning the women’s team bronze before finishing eighth individually and returning to the podium in the mixed team event.

The result also adds another shooting medal to India’s overall campaign at Aichi-Nagoya.

Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team Misses Final

Earlier on Thursday, India’s Kamaljeet, Aakash Bhardwaj and Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve competed in the men’s 10m air pistol qualification. The Indian trio finished fourth in the team standings with 1727-53x, narrowly missing out on a place in the final. Kamaljeet led India individually with 580-18x, followed by Aakash Bhardwaj with 579-20x and Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve with 568-15x.

China, Indonesia and Japan finished ahead of India in the team qualification standings. While the air pistol team could not add another medal, India’s skeet shooters ensured that shooting remained firmly among the country’s medal-producing sports on another day of competition.

With Naruka and Dhaliwal’s mixed team bronze, India now has a third skeet medal from the Asian Games 2026 campaign, following the two team bronzes secured on Wednesday.