India’s shooters are on fire at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship 2026, surging to 41 gold medals after a thrilling eighth day at Dr. Karni Singh Range. Leading the charge was Anish Bhanwala, who battled to bronze in men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol, joining a roster of standout performances despite Kazakhstan’s four-gold haul.
With just two days left, the competition intensifies. Anish, no stranger to global podiums, qualified with 574 alongside Adarsh Singh’s 573. Kazakhstan’s Nikita Chiryukin topped at 582, dragging three teammates to the decision stage.
Advancing contenders included Japan’s Dai Yoshioka, a two-time Olympian and World Cup gold medalist, and Vietnam’s Ha Minh Than with Woo Tien. The final’s eight series tested nerves: Yoshioka, Anish, and Chiryukin led after eliminating early dropouts.
Adarsh exited post-fourth series at 11 hits. Anish hit joint lead at 21 after six series but faltered in the seventh with two hits against rivals’ superior tallies, ending at 23 for bronze. Yoshioka’s record 31 claimed gold; Chiryukin 28 for silver.
The morning belonged to Kazakhstan’s Islam Satpayev in 50m rifle prone men. His 622.5 individual gold paired with team success over Shakhtorin and Malinovski. India countered with Babu Panwar’s bronze (621.3) and team silver.
Adrian Karmarkar shone brightest in junior rifle prone, scoring 621.7 for gold. Kazakhstan filled silver and bronze but lost team gold narrowly to India’s challenge—no, wait, they clinched team with 1848.7 vs India’s 1847.6.
Junior men’s 25m RFP capped the day: Indonesia’s Farrell gold (29), Suraj Sharma silver (23), Mukesh bronze (19). India’s team, powered by Suraj (582), Mukesh (572), and Sahil (575), amassed 1729 for gold over Kazakhstan’s 1613.
These feats underscore India’s rising dominance in Asian shooting, blending veteran grit with junior promise ahead of the final push.