Haryana shooters Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh clinched the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday, securing their maiden Asian Games title.
For both shooters, however, the road to the Asian Games podium was far from easy. Both had their fair share of challenges, but their dedication to the sport was similar.
HT spoke to Kamaljeet, who said that he started his journey in shooting sports in 2019. The athlete said that the first few years were really good, with him winning several medals for the country. However, he met with an accident in 2022, was badly injured and suffered a thigh bone fracture.
Deep Dive
What challenges did Kamaljeet face on his path to winning gold at the Asian Games?
How did Suruchi Singh transition from wrestling to shooting?
What psychological strategies did Kamaljeet and Suruchi employ during the final match at the Asian Games?
“It was definitely 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.
Recalling that difficult phase, he said there came a point when he told his family that he would not give up shooting. “Without their support, I would not have come this far. My first coach, Shaktipal, also stood by me throughout. Without all their support, I would not have been able to make a comeback,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Recalling that difficult phase, he said there came a point when he told his family that he would not give up shooting. “Without their support, I would not have come this far. My first coach, Shaktipal, also stood by me throughout. Without all their support, I would not have been able to make a comeback,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The manner in which he bounced back was remarkable. In 2023, Kamaljeet won gold in the men’s 50m pistol individual event at the ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon, South Korea, underlining his resilience and emerging as one of India’s promising young shooters.
Kamaljeet said the key to their success was keeping the pressure at bay and simply enjoying the final. He said the duo did not enter the contest thinking they had to win at all costs. Instead, once they reached the final, they were confident of securing a medal and focused on performing freely.
“We know that we will go back with the medal, and our focus was to give our best,” he told HT.
When asked about his future goals, Kamaljeet said representing India at the Olympics and winning a gold medal was the ultimate dream for any athlete, and that he, too, was working towards achieving it.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Suruchi Singh had initially aspired to become a wrestler. She began training at the age of 13, but within just two-and-a-half months, she suffered a collarbone injury, forcing her to put her wrestling journey on hold.
Nishant Phogat, Singh’s brother, told HT that after this, she started looking for sports where a collarbone injury did not impact training. “Finally, she told my father that she wants to do shooting,” he said.
Their father, who had served in the Army, then took both siblings for formal shooting training, marking the beginning of Singh’s journey in the sport.
“After our classes, Singh would travel 100 kilometres to reach the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy. Covering 200 kilometres every day, to and fro, was a huge task for both of us, but both of us were determined to pursue shooting,” he said.
Singh’s brother, who is also an athlete, said the family faced its share of challenges, with many questioning their decision to send her into shooting.
“People would ask us why we were sending her for this sport and say that there was no future in it and that she should not pursue it. But my father was determined. He always believed that she would one day bring medals home,” he said.
For both athletes, there was disappointment as neither qualified for their individual 10m air pistol events.
“However, the hunger was still there in both of them. It simply wasn’t their day. Disappointments are part and parcel of sport. They were disappointed, but not disheartened,” national coach for the 10m air pistol event Samaresh Jung told HT.
Asked about pairing the two shooters, the national coach told HT that both are 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 for a few hours before waking up,” he said.
When asked about their next target, Jung said the duo would now focus on the upcoming World Championships, with the larger goal of securing their places at the Olympics.