How India shook off slow start to win historic skeet bronze: Anantjeet Naruka reveals

Anantjeet Singh Naruka said India’s historic Asian Games skeet mixed team bronze was built on a simple decision, to forget a poor start and keep fighting until the final target. Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal recovered from a modest 44/50 in the opening qualification round to finish with 138 and secure a place in the four-team final at the Asian Games here on Thursday.

The pair had every reason to feel the pressure after struggling in the first round, but instead of dwelling on their mistakes, they backed each other and reset. Their response helped them complete a remarkable turnaround and claim the country’s first-ever medal in the Asian Games skeet mixed team event.

"We had a difficult start. Both of us didn't shoot well in the first round and then we just told each other that we can still get it. We have two more rounds to go and we will fight till the last target," Naruka said.

Dhaliwal echoed that approach, revealing how the pair deliberately kept the focus away from the medal and concentrated only on completing the qualification rounds.

"It was just about fighting till the very end. We were like, 'Let's just give it our all and then we'll see what happens after the third round,' and that's what we did," she said.

For Naruka, the support between the two shooters was crucial in a format where individual performances are tied together.

"We were supportive and just kept telling each other that we have to fight. That's what a mixed team is, you know, that's how it's supposed to be," he said.Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Anantjeet Singh Naruka claim bronze in Mixed Team Skeet!Watch the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 LIVE on Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV pic.twitter.com/Xh6MdcRpNH— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 24, 2026THE POWER OF A SUPPORTIVE PARTNERSHIP

The pair’s fightback was also fuelled by the atmosphere they created around themselves. Rather than allowing the pressure of an Asian Games medal opportunity to weigh them down, Naruka and Dhaliwal tried to keep each other relaxed and focused on the process.

Dhaliwal said the coaches and support staff also played an important role in keeping the mood positive when the medal was still uncertain.

"We were just having a really happy environment and we were just like, 'We are going to do this. We don't know how, but I know we will end up doing this,'" Dhaliwal said.

That belief helped the Indians stay together through the difficult moments and eventually reach the final, where they completed a historic podium finish. For Naruka, the result was a reflection of exactly what the mixed team format demands - trust, communication and the ability to keep fighting as a unit.

The bronze also added another significant medal to Naruka’s career, which already includes an individual bronze at the World Cup Final in Delhi and a fourth-place finish at the Olympics. But the Asian Games podium carried a different significance for the Indian shooter.BRONZE THAT MEANT MORE THAN OLYMPICS 4TH PLACE

Naruka admitted that standing on the podium at the Asian Games meant more to him than his fourth-place finish at the Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a medal.

"I think this one (Asian Games), because at the Olympics you are coming fourth but if you are not standing on the podium, it doesn't matter. Today we fought, we fought well and we got the bronze," he said.

The result completed a memorable two days for Indian skeet, which collected three medals at these Games. Naruka hopes that success will give the discipline’s younger shooters another push and encourage more Indian athletes to take up the sport.

"Of course, it's good motivation for other shooters as well. Last time I remember we got two medals in skeet, this time we have three, so we are very happy," he said.

The bronze also gave Naruka and Dhaliwal two medals each at the Games. Naruka had earlier helped India to bronze in the men’s team event, while Dhaliwal was part of the women’s team that also finished on the podium.

For a pair that began the day under pressure, the mixed team bronze was ultimately a testament to their refusal to let a difficult start decide their fate.- Ends