Setbacks behind them, Haryana shooter-duo strikes gold at Asian Games

The duo clinched gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, securing their maiden Asian Games in Japan on Friday

For Haryana shooters Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh, the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday was the culmination of journeys marked by injury, long hours of training and setbacks that once threatened to derail their sporting careers.

Suruchi Singh, right, and Kamaljeet celebrate after winning the gold medal in the 10mair pistol mixed team final in the ongoing Asian Games 2026, in Nagoya, Japan, on Friday. (PTI)

The duo clinched gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, securing their maiden Asian Games title after overcoming very different challenges on their way to the podium.

Kamaljeet told HT that he began shooting in 2019 and won several medals for the country before an accident in 2022 left him with a fractured thigh bone.

“It was a tough time for me and my family. I had to stay away from shooting for several months and missed the National Games. Things became very difficult during that period. But deep down, I never wanted to quit shooting,” he told HT.

Kamaljeet said he eventually told his family he would not give up the sport. “Without their support, I would not have come this far. My first coach, Shaktipal, also stood by me throughout,” he said.

In 2023, Kamaljeet won gold in the men’s 50m pistol individual event at the ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon, South Korea, emerging as one of India’s promising young shooters.

He said the key to their Asian Games success was keeping pressure at bay and enjoying the final. The duo did not enter the contest thinking they had to win at all costs, he said. Once in the final, they were confident of securing a medal and focused on performing freely.

“We knew that we will go back with the medal, and our focus was to give our best,” he told HT.

Kamaljeet said representing India at the Olympics and winning gold was the ultimate dream, like any other athlete, and he was working towards it.

Twenty-year-old Suruchi Singh had initially aspired to become a wrestler. She began training at 13, but suffered a collarbone injury within two-and-a-half months, forcing her to give up wrestling.

Her brother Nishant Phogat told HT that she then began looking for a sport in which the injury would not affect her.

“Finally, she told my father that she wants to do shooting,” he said. Their father, who had served in the army, took both siblings for shooting training.

“After our classes, Suruchi and I would travel 100km from Sisroli to the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani district. Covering the 200km round trip every day was a huge task, but we were both determined to pursue shooting,” he said.

Phogat, also an athlete, said the family faced criticism for sending Singh into shooting.

“People would ask us why we were sending her for this sport and that there was no future in it. But my father always believed that she would bring medals home,” he said.

There was some disappointment for both shooters at the Asian Games as neither qualified for the individual 10m air pistol event.

Samaresh Jung, national coach for the 10m air pistol event, told HT, “However, the hunger was still there in both of them. It simply wasn’t their day. Disappointments are part and parcel of sport.”

Jung said both shooters were hardworking and intrinsically motivated athletes.

“There was definitely some added pressure, but both handled it differently. Singh slept through the entire night before the match, while Kamaljeet slept only a few hours,” he said.

Jung said the duo would now focus on the upcoming World Championships, with the larger goal of securing their places at the Olympics.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini also congratulated the shooters on Friday. “The entire nation is proud of your achievement. Heartiest wishes to both of you for a bright and golden future,” he said.