India made an emphatic statement on Day One of the 16th Asian Shooting Championship, clinching five medals – two gold and three silver – showcasing the depth and promise of its young pistol shooters.
The highlight of the day was a spectacular 1-2 finish in the Youth Men’s 10m Air Pistol event, led by Girish Gupta, who claimed gold with a score of 241.3 in the final. The 17-year-old held his nerve in a tight contest to edge past compatriot Dev Pratap, just 14 years old, who secured the silver medal with 238.6.
The duo’s composure under pressure reflected India’s strong foundation in youth shooting and marked a stellar start for the national contingent.
Earlier in the day, Kapil Bainsla had given India its first gold in the Junior Men’s 10m Air Pistol. Kapil edged past Uzbekistan’s Ilkhombek Obidjonov in a thrilling final, scoring 243.0 to the Uzbek’s 242.4. Kapil’s clutch shots of 10.8 and 10.6 in the final two rounds secured a dramatic win after trailing going into the last two shots.
India also celebrated a podium double in the event, with Jonathan Gavin Antony bagging bronze with a score of 220.7, exiting the 24-shot final after the 22nd round. The strong showing came after an impressive qualification round, where Jonathan finished second with 582, while Kapil was fourth with 579.
India added two more silvers in the team events. In the Junior Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team, the trio of Kapil Bainsla, Jonathan Gavin Antony, and Vijay Tomar scored 1723, finishing behind gold-medal winners Korea (1734). Kazakhstan claimed bronze.
In the Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team, India’s team of Anmol Jain, Aditya Malra, and Saurabh Chaudhary earned silver with a combined score of 1735, behind gold-medal winners China.
In the Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Anmol Jain was the lone Indian finalist and finished sixth with a score of 155.1. China’s Hu Kai clinched gold, continuing their dominance in the event.