Asian Games 2026: Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet Storm into 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Final

India’s Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet produced a superb performance in the 10m air pistol mixed team qualification at the Asian Games 2026, topping the 21-team qualification round with a score of 587 to book their place in the final.

The Indian pair delivered three remarkably consistent series of 196, 195 and 196, finishing with 29 inner 10s. Their final qualification score was officially confirmed as a new Asian Games Qualification Games Record and equal to the Qualification Asian Record.

The performance also provided a strong response from the Indian pistol contingent after disappointing individual campaigns for both shooters.

Suruchi and Kamaljeet immediately established themselves as the team to beat with an outstanding opening series. The Indian pair combined for 196 points in their first 20 shots, moving straight to the top of the qualification standings. It was an important start in a competition involving 21 teams, where consistency across all three series was crucial for securing one of the four final places.

Rather than merely holding their position, the Indians continued to build on the opening performance. Their first series set the tone for what would become an exceptionally consistent qualification round.

Another Strong Series Keeps India on Top

India followed the opening 196 with 195 in the second series. That took their aggregate to 391, allowing Suruchi and Kamaljeet to remain comfortably at the top of the standings with just one series remaining. The pair had produced almost no drop-off in their performance, maintaining the composure required in the mixed team format.

The final series would determine whether India could finish qualification at the top, but their position in the final was already looking increasingly secure. The task was now to complete the qualification without allowing their performance level to drop.

Suruchi and Kamaljeet delivered exactly what was required. They produced another 196 in the final series, taking their overall score to 587.

Their three-series sequence — 196, 195, 196 — underlined the consistency of the Indian pair. They finished the qualification round with 29 inner 10s, further strengthening their position at the top of the standings. The official confirmation subsequently placed a ‘Q’ beside India's score and recognised the 587 as a new Qualification Games Record, while also equalling the Qualification Asian Record.

India finished four points short of the world record, but the qualification performance was nevertheless a significant achievement.

Iran, South Korea and Indonesia Join India

Only four teams progressed from the qualification round into the final.

India topped the standings with 587, followed by:

• Iran — 584

• Republic of Korea — 582

• Indonesia — 580

The four teams will now contest the medal round, with the qualification scores no longer carrying over. That means all four finalists will start the final from zero, making the qualification performance an important achievement but not a guarantee of the final result. For India, however, finishing first provides significant momentum heading into the medal contest.

The qualification performance is particularly noteworthy given the context of the individual 10m air pistol events. Both Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet had experienced disappointing results in their respective individual competitions before returning to the range for the mixed team event. The mixed team qualification offered them an opportunity to reset, and they responded with three high-quality series.

Their consistency was evident from the beginning. The opening 196 was followed by 195 and another 196, leaving little room for a significant dip in performance.

Rather than being affected by their earlier individual results, the pair combined effectively to produce India's best qualification score among the four finalists.

Final at 8:30 AM IST

The 10m air pistol mixed team final is scheduled for 8:30 AM IST. India will line up alongside Iran, the Republic of Korea and Indonesia in the medal contest.

The final will be a completely new competition, with qualification scores no longer counting towards the medal standings. That makes execution under pressure crucial.

For Suruchi and Kamaljeet, the challenge now is to reproduce the composure and consistency that took them to the top of qualification. Their 587 has already put their names into the record books as a Qualification Games Record and equal Qualification Asian Record.

But the ultimate objective will be the podium. After three outstanding qualification series, India enters the final as the top-ranked team from qualification, with Suruchi and Kamaljeet now just one round away from a potential medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol event.