Naruka Strikes Gold at Asian Shooting Championship: India Shines

In a thrilling showdown at the Asian Shooting Championships 2025 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, Olympian Anantjeet Singh Naruka made history by clinching India's first senior gold medal. He prevailed in a nail-biting final over Kuwait's Mansour Al-Rashidi, scoring 57 points to Al-Rashidi's 56 in the men's skeet event.

This victory marked Naruka's first individual gold at the Asian Championships, improving upon his previous silver from the last edition in Kuwait. He narrowly missed gold previously with an identical score, succumbing to Chinese Taipei's Lee Meng-yuan.

In a day of mixed fortunes for Indian shooters, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa finished eighth, and Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Abhay Singh Sekhon trailed further behind. However, Naruka's success was complemented by other Indian triumphs, including a bronze win by Saurabh Chaudhary and Suruchi Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

Saurabh, along with Aditya Malra and Anmol Jain, also secured silver in the men's 10m air pistol team event. The women's skeet team earned a bronze, finishing behind China and Kazakhstan. Amidst fierce competition, India stands second in the medal tally with six senior medals.

(With inputs from agencies.)