Asian Games: Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal Reach Women’s Skeet Final, India Secure Team Bronze

India’s shooting campaign at the Asian Games 2026 delivered another strong result as Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal qualified for the women’s skeet individual final, while the Indian trio also secured a bronze medal in the women’s skeet team event.

Raiza and Parinaaz both finished the qualification stage with 111 hits out of 125, placing eighth and ninth respectively. With only the top eight shooters advancing to the individual final and a maximum of two athletes allowed per National Olympic Committee (NOC), both Indians made the cut.

The qualification result came alongside India’s team bronze, making it another productive outing for the country in skeet shooting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Raiza Dhillon, an NCoE athlete, finished eighth in the women’s skeet qualification with a score of 111/125. Parinaaz Dhaliwal, also representing the NCoE, matched that score and finished ninth. On paper, ninth place would normally leave an athlete outside the final qualification positions. However, the Asian Games shooting format allows a maximum of two shooters from each NOC to qualify for the individual final.

China had three shooters among the top eight positions. As a result, the third Chinese shooter could not take one of the available final berths, allowing Parinaaz to move into the qualification field. This meant India had two shooters through to the medal round, with Raiza and Parinaaz set to compete for individual honours.

The women’s skeet individual final was scheduled for 11:00 AM IST, giving the two Indian shooters an opportunity to add another medal to the country’s growing shooting tally.

Earlier, the Indian women’s skeet trio of Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan had secured the bronze medal in the team event. The Indian team accumulated a combined score of 331, finishing behind China and Kazakhstan.

China topped the standings with 357, while Kazakhstan took silver with 336. India’s 331 was enough to secure the third position on the podium. The team ranking was determined using the combined scores recorded by all three shooters across the five rounds completed by the athletes.

For Raiza, the team bronze added significance to what was her Asian Games debut. The NCoE athlete was competing alongside Parinaaz and Khelo India athlete Maheshwari, with the trio delivering a podium finish for India.

Maheshwari Chauhan finished 12th in the individual qualification with 109 hits, narrowly missing out on the final field. While Maheshwari could not progress to the individual medal round, her contribution remained important to India’s team bronze. The combined performance of all three shooters produced the 331-point total that placed India third behind China and Kazakhstan.

The result also underlined the depth within India’s women’s skeet contingent, with two shooters progressing to the individual final while the complete trio contributed to the team podium.

The double qualification of Raiza and Parinaaz gives India two representatives in the women’s skeet individual final. Both shooters entered the medal round with identical qualification scores of 111/125, although their final qualification positions were determined by the competition standings and the two-athlete-per-NOC restriction.

For Raiza, the final represents another opportunity after helping India secure team bronze on her Asian Games debut. For Parinaaz, it is a chance to convert her qualification performance into an individual medal after moving into the final field despite initially finishing ninth. India had already enjoyed success in skeet during the Games. Anantjeet Singh Naruka qualified for the men’s skeet individual final with 119, while India also secured bronze in the men’s skeet team event with a combined score of 346.

The women’s team bronze, therefore, adds another shooting medal to India’s Asian Games campaign.

Two Indians in the Fight for Individual Medals

With Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal both through to the final, India will have two shooters competing in the women’s skeet individual medal round. Their qualification scores of 111/125 have put them in position to challenge for the podium, while Maheshwari’s team contribution helped ensure India returned from the team event with bronze.

The immediate focus now shifts to the individual final, where Raiza and Parinaaz will look to build on their qualification performances.

For Indian shooting, the women’s skeet competition has already delivered a team medal and two individual finalists. The final now presents another opportunity for the Indian contingent to add to its medal tally at the Asian Games 2026.