Rapid fire pistol final sees Anish Bhanwala miss podium, India ends with 15 medals

The men’s 25 metre rapid fire pistol final at the Nagoya Asian Games concluded with Indian shooter Anish Bhanwala in seventh place. Despite tying at 11 points with several opponents, the tie‑break system favored higher‑ranked qualifiers, leaving Bhanwala just outside the medals.

Bhanwala’s qualification round yielded a 576‑17X score, ranking him ninth and earning a spot among the top eight finalists. With a limit of two athletes per country in the final, South Korea’s three qualifiers meant an opening for Bhanwala.

India’s overall shooting medal count stood at 15 – three gold, eight silver and four bronze. The nation’s success came mainly from the women’s 10 m air pistol (silver) and the mixed 10 m air pistol team (gold). Additionally, the men’s quadrant sepak‑taka team secured a semifinal berth after a 2‑1 victory over Myanmar, solidifying a medal guarantee.

The event underscored both the promise and the challenges faced by India’s pistol shooters on the Asian stage.