26th in Qualifiers, Golden in the Final: Suruchi’s Asian Games Redemption
Suruchi Inder Singh and partnering with Kamaljeet clinched gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Aichi General Shooting Range on Friday, giving India its second gold medal of the Games. The pair produced a score of 484.6, finishing ahead of South Korea’s Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo, who took silver with 478.0.
Xtratime Webdesk: India’s campaign at the Asian Games 2026 is beginning to gather momentum. Just days after Smriti Mandhana and Co. delivered India’s first gold, shooting added another one to the tally, and this time, it came with a strong comeback story.
Suruchi Inder Singh, partnering with Kamaljeet, clinched gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Aichi General Shooting Range on Friday, giving India its second gold medal of the Games. The pair produced a score of 484.6, finishing ahead of South Korea’s Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo, who took silver with 478.0.
The result was particularly significant for Suruchi. The Haryana shooter had earlier endured disappointment at the Games after failing to reach the final of the individual 10m air pistol event. She finished 26th among 55 shooters in qualification with a score of 568-12x. But there was little doubt in her coach Suresh Singh’s mind about what could happen once she got another chance.
“Final mein gayi, to gold hi layegi,” Suresh said after Suruchi reached the mixed team final. He later added, “She is an athlete for the finals. Look at her past records; if she has reached the final, then you can't stop her. She will go for gold. She doesn't want silver or bronze. She has that kind of hunger.”
Suruchi’s record backed that confidence. She had a spectacular breakout season in 2025. Suruchi had won a hat-trick of successive individual ISSF World Cup golds in Buenos Aires, Lima, and Munich, and capped off the year by winning a fourth individual gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, where she also broke the Junior World Record. During the mixed team final, Suruchi and Kamaljeet stayed in control throughout. India led through the stages before finishing with 484.6 points, 6.6 points clear of South Korea.
For Suruchi, the medal was more than just another entry in India’s tally. It was a response to an early setback and a reminder of why her coach believed that once she made a final, gold was always within reach.
“She was disappointed. But I knew she would come back stronger. She knows how to bounce back quickly, and that is her best quality,” Suresh said.