India will begin its shooting campaign for the 2026 Asian Games with a 30-member squad composed of Olympic medallists, Asian Games medallists, world champions and some emerging names. The squad will be made up by the NRAI and consists of 15 men and 15 women and will compete in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun disciplines in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 1.
Manu Bhaker is also one of the biggest names in the Indian shooting contingent. The Paris 2024 bronze medallist will compete in the women's 10m Air Pistol and 25m Pistol events. Bhaker's presence is an international addition to a team that also includes Esha Singh, Suruchi Singh and Rahi Sarnobat and many other established athletes.
Esha Singh is another key member of the pistol contingent. She will compete both in the women's 10m Air Pistol and 25m Pistol. Suruchi Singh, Kedarling Uchaganve, Kamaljeet and Aakash Bharadwaj are among the Indian team in the 10m Air Pistol events, while Anish Bhanwala is India's entry in the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar will compete in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event in Rifle discipline. Tomar won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and has also won international awards at the World Cup and Asian Championships. Rudrankksh Patil, the 2022 world champion, will compete in both the men's 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions events.
The men's 10m Air Rifle squad also includes Parth Mane and Himanshu Dhillon, and Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa K. Vinod will represent India in the women's 10m Air Rifle event. The Rifle programme also consists of 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team competition, so more opportunities for Indian shooters.
India's Shotgun contingent comprises experienced Olympians and Asian-level competitors. Kynan Chenai, Ahvar Rizvi and Shapath Bharadwaj are among the men's Trap competitors, with Manisha Keer, Neeru Dhanda and Aashima Ahlawat leading the women's Trap. Neeru has also made her way on the international stage with strong performances in recent competitions.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka will participate in Skeet and Mixed Team events. He won a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and has already been crowned Asian champion. Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Mairaj Ahmad Khan will also compete in men’s Skeet, while Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan will compete in women’s events.
The Indian shooting programme at the Nagoya Games has individual, team and Mixed Team competitions. Rifle events include 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions, while the Pistol programme includes 10m Air Pistol, women's 25m Pistol and men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol. Trap and Skeet competitions are also on the agenda.
The squad comes following India’s record performance in shooting at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, when Indian shooters won 22 medals including seven gold, nine silver and six bronze. As such, the 2026 team has international experience in all three disciplines.
Shooting events will run during the opening weeks of the Asian Games and start with Rifle and Pistol events and then proceed through the rest of the disciplines. Indian athletes will have opportunities to compete individually and jointly in individual and team competitions, so the 30-member squad will be the heart of the campaign.
Manu Bhaker, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, Esha Singh, Anish Bhanwala and some other international performers make up the Indian shooting team and are bringing Olympic experience, world-class credentials and younger talent to Nagoya. Now it is all about the competition as Indian shooters start their Asian Games campaign in Japan.
