India continued its strong start to the Asian Games 2026 shooting competition as Rudrankksh Patil, Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane won the silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event on September 21.
The Indian trio combined for a total score of 1890.1 points to finish second in the competition at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Nagoya. China secured the gold medal after producing a world-record team score of 1899.0 points, while South Korea finished third.
The silver medal became India’s third medal of the 2026 Asian Games at that stage, with all three medals coming from shooting. India had already won two silver medals in the women’s 10m air rifle events on the opening day of the Games.
Rudrankksh Patil was the leading Indian performer in the qualification round that also counted toward the team result. He finished third individually with a score of 631.8 points. His performance helped India remain firmly in the medal positions during the competition.
Himanshu Dhillon also delivered a strong performance, recording 630.0 points to finish seventh in the individual qualification standings. His result was enough to secure a place in the men’s 10m air rifle individual final.
Parth Mane finished with 628.3 points and placed 10th in the individual qualification standings. Although he did not qualify for the individual final, his contribution was important to India’s combined team score and the silver medal result.
The team event was closely contested, with China establishing a significant lead and India finishing ahead of South Korea. China’s total of 1899.0 points was reported as a new qualification world record, improving the previous mark by 0.6 points.
For India, the result continued an impressive opening to the shooting competition at the Asian Games. The women’s 10m air rifle team had won silver on September 20, with Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod combining for the podium finish. Elavenil then added another silver in the individual event.
The men’s team silver therefore gave India another podium finish in shooting and maintained the country’s medal momentum early in the Games.
Rudrankksh and Himanshu’s qualification for the individual final also meant India had two representatives competing for another medal in the men’s 10m air rifle individual event later on September 21.
Rudrankksh entered the individual qualification round strongly and eventually finished third. His score of 631.8 placed him behind China’s Sheng Lihao and another Chinese shooter in the qualification standings. Himanshu’s 630.0 was enough for seventh place and a final qualification position.
The qualification system allowed only two shooters from the same country to advance to the individual final. As a result, despite China having three shooters among the leading performers, only two Chinese athletes could compete in the final.
The Indian team’s performance was also notable because the three shooters brought different levels of international experience to the competition. Rudrankksh is a former world champion in the men’s 10m air rifle, while Himanshu has emerged through India’s junior and senior shooting programmes. Parth Mane has also represented India in major international competitions.
Rudrankksh became a prominent figure in Indian shooting after winning the men’s 10m air rifle world title at the 2022 ISSF World Championships in Cairo. He later represented India at the Paris 2024 Olympics and continued competing at major international events.
Himanshu has also made rapid progress in the sport. His recent performances at international competitions helped him earn a place in India’s senior shooting squad. His Asian Games debut provided another opportunity to compete against leading shooters from across Asia.
The silver medal in the team event was therefore an important result for the Indian trio. Their combined performance ensured India finished ahead of South Korea and other competing nations, while China set the pace at the top of the standings.
The result also highlighted the importance of consistency in team shooting. While individual qualification scores determine the ranking of each shooter, the team medal depends on the combined performance of all three members. Rudrankksh, Himanshu and Parth collectively produced 1890.1 points to secure second place.
Following the team event, attention shifted to the individual final involving Rudrankksh and Himanshu. Both Indian shooters had already secured a medal opportunity by reaching the final eight.
The men’s 10m air rifle event was one of the first major medal opportunities for India on the second day of the Asian Games. The silver medal gave the country an early boost and added to the two shooting silvers won on the previous day.
India’s shooting contingent had also enjoyed a strong campaign at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, where it won 22 medals. The current team has entered the Aichi-Nagoya Games with expectations of competing strongly across several shooting disciplines.
The 2026 Asian Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Shooting is among the sports contributing medals during the opening days of the competition.
For Rudrankksh Patil, Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane, the men’s 10m air rifle team silver represents a combined achievement. China finished first with 1899.0 points, India followed with 1890.1, and South Korea completed the podium.
The Indian shooters will continue their campaign in other events during the Games. Rudrankksh and Himanshu also had the opportunity to compete for individual honours after qualifying for the men’s 10m air rifle final.
India’s silver in the team event thus became another significant result from the country’s shooting contingent. With three shooters contributing to the score, India secured second place and added another medal to its Asian Games tally.