Asian Games 2026: Anant Jeet-Parinaaz add mixed skeet bronze to India’s medal haul

Asian Games 2026: Anant Jeet Naruka, Parinaaz Dhaliwal Win Mixed Skeet Bronze

Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal added another bronze to India’s skeet medal tally at the Asian Games 2026, finishing third in the mixed team event on Thursday at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery.

The podium finish marked India’s first-ever medal in the Asian Games mixed team skeet event. It also meant both Naruka and Parinaaz ended the competition with two medals each.

India scored 44 points in the final, while China produced a world-record 52 to win gold. South Korea took silver with 51 points. Both China and South Korea bettered the previous world record of 47, set by Qatar in January.

India Fight Back After Fourth-Place Qualification

Naruka and Parinaaz entered the four-team final after finishing fourth in qualification with 138 points. Naruka accounted for 70 hits from 75 targets, while Parinaaz recorded 68.

Qatar had topped the qualification round with 145 points, ahead of South Korea on 143 and China on 140. However, qualification scores were not carried into the final, giving all four teams a fresh opportunity.

Qatar were eliminated first in the final, assuring India of at least a bronze medal.

India began strongly, hitting 21 of 24 targets, but gusty winds made the conditions increasingly difficult. Naruka and Parinaaz held their nerve through the challenging stages and eventually finished on 44 points.

China pulled away late in the competition to set a new world record, while South Korea also crossed the previous global mark to take silver.

Historic Skeet Medal Sweep for India

The mixed team bronze completed India’s medal sweep across all three skeet team events at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Mairaj Ahmad Khan had earlier won bronze in the men’s team event. Parinaaz, Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan then secured bronze in the women’s team competition.

The women’s team medal was India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in skeet. Naruka and Parinaaz followed that achievement by delivering another landmark result in the mixed team event.

Parinaaz Ends Games With Two Medals

For 24-year-old Parinaaz, the two bronze medals represent a major improvement from her Asian Games debut in Hangzhou in 2022, where she did not win a medal.

The Patiala shooter first helped India secure its maiden Asian Games women’s skeet medal before joining Naruka on the podium in the mixed team event.

Speaking after the final, Parinaaz said the pair stayed aggressive and continuously encouraged each other during the competition.

“We were aggressive. We just kept telling each other to keep fighting. That’s what mixed team is about,” she said.

Naruka Adds Two More Medals

Naruka also leaves Aichi-Nagoya with two medals. The 28-year-old had won individual silver and men’s team bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

His latest medals came after another Olympic appearance at Paris 2024, where he and Maheshwari Chauhan finished fourth in the mixed team skeet event.

Reflecting on Thursday’s podium finish, Naruka said: “This one ranks highest. In the Olympics you are coming fourth, but if you’re not standing on the podium it does not matter. We fought well and got the bronze today.”

India’s skeet campaign at Aichi-Nagoya has now produced three medals from three team events, including first-ever Asian Games podium finishes in both women’s and mixed team skeet.