Nagoya, Youngsters Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil held their nerve in a gripping shootout to win the individual silver and bronze medals respectively in the men's 10m air rifle while the duo also combined with teenager Parth Mane to add a team silver at the Asian Games here on Monday.
The three medals took India's shooting tally to five four silver and a bronze but once again there was no getting past China's Paris Olympics double gold medallist Sheng Lihao, who lived up to his billing as the world No. 1 with another commanding performance.
Sheng produced a Games and Asian record 254.2 to take gold, while Himanshu, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Monday, shot 252.4 for silver. Rudrankksh , who had looked capable of challenging for the top spot after a strong start, finished third.
Deep Dive
How did the Indian men's 10m air rifle team perform at the Asian Games?
What was the significance of Himanshu Dhillon's performance in the men's 10m air rifle individual event?
Why is Rudrankksh Patil considered a leading shooter in the men's 10m air rifle event?
For India, it was nevertheless a significant finish in an event where every decimal can separate a medal from disappointment.
The individual medals came barely an hour after Himanshu, who is competing in his maiden Asian Games, former world champion Rudrankksh and 18-year-old Mane had combined for silver in the team event.
China, once again, set the benchmark.
{{/usCountry}}China, once again, set the benchmark.
{{/usCountry}}Its trio of Sheng, Changhong Zhang and Sihan Ma amassed 1899.0 points to improve its own world record of 1898.4 set in Cairo last year. South Korea took bronze with 1884.2, while India's 1890.1 secured silver.
But the individual final had a distinctly Indian storyline, with Himanshu and Rudrankksh locked in a tense battle for the minor medals while Sheng steadily pulled away.
Rudrankksh had initially looked the likelier Indian to challenge the Chinese star. After the second series, the 2022 world champion had an aggregate of 106.0, leading Sheng by 1.1 points, while Himanshu was on 104.8.
The momentum, however, shifted in the elimination series.
Rudrankksh faltered with a 9.7, while Himanshu responded with a 10.6 to move into second on the 22nd shot in the 24-shot final. The debutant finished 0.1 point ahead of his vastly more experienced teammate.
It was a performance built as much on temperament as on marksmanship.
Himanshu spent a year at a gurukul at his father's insistence, an experience he credits with teaching him discipline. He also had a brief stint in wrestling before shooting became his calling.
"Yes, my brief stint on the mat did help me fight till the last shot," Himanshu said.
He certainly did that.
With Rudrankksh breathing down his neck and the silver medal hanging on the smallest of margins, Himanshu stayed composed and refused to blink. His reward was a silver on his Asian Games debut and a second medal of the Games after the team event.
The Haryana shooter now has his sights on the World Championships later this year, where he hopes to secure a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
For India, the team silver had already underlined the depth emerging in its rifle ranks.
Rudrankksh finished third in the individual qualification with 631.8 points, Himanshu was seventh with 630.0, while Mane shot 628.3 to finish outside the top eight and narrowly miss the individual final.
Yet Mane's contribution was anything but marginal.
At just 18 and competing at his first Asian Games, the junior World medallist handled the pressure with remarkable composure. In a team event decided by the combined qualification scores, his performance proved crucial.
"The competition today was a huge learning experience in terms of pressure. I kept following my process and am happy that I was able to contribute to the team medal," said Mane, who turns 19 in November.
For the teenager, the medal also marked a remarkable payoff from a journey that began almost by chance.
Born and raised in Solapur, Mane was introduced to shooting at 13 when his police officer father encouraged him to attend a summer coaching camp at school.
What began as an experiment gradually turned serious, eventually prompting the family to move to Mumbai so he could access better facilities and train with Olympian and coach Suma Shirur.
His first Asian Games has now brought a team silver.
There was, however, little time for celebration.
"The celebrations will have to wait," Mane said matter-of-factly.
He has another assignment almost immediately, teaming up with Elavenil Valarivan in the mixed team event on Tuesday.
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