India clinched the silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event at the Asian Games on Monday, with Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Rakesh Mane combining for a team total of 1890.1 points.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the Indian trio for their achievement.
In a post on X, President Murmu said, “Heartiest congratulations to Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Parth Rakesh Mane and Himanshu Dhillon on winning the Silver Medal in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Team event at the Asian Games 2026. Your precision and outstanding performance have brought great pride to the nation. My best wishes for many more laurels ahead.”
China won the gold medal with a world record team score of 1899.0 points, improving its previous mark of 1898.4 set in Cairo last year by 0.6 points. South Korea secured the bronze with 1884.2 points.
The Indian performance was anchored by former world champion Patil, who finished third in the individual qualification standings with 631.8 points. Dhillon secured seventh place with 630.0 points, earning both shooters a place in the individual final.
Mane, however, narrowly missed out on the individual final after finishing 10th with 628.3 points. His contribution remained crucial to India’s team medal, as the aggregate scores from the qualification round determine the team standings.
At just 18, Mane was competing in his maiden Asian Games and produced a composed performance despite the pressure of a major senior international competition. The junior World medallist stayed focused on his routine and helped India remain firmly in contention for the silver medal.
“The competition today was a huge learning experience in terms of pressure. I kept following my process and am happy that I was able to contribute to the team medal,” Mane said after the competition.
The teenager, who will turn 19 in November, said celebrations would have to wait as he was due to compete in the mixed team event with Elavenil Valarivan. He also has his sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Mane’s journey to the Asian Games podium began in Solapur, where he was introduced to shooting at the age of 13 after his father, a police officer, encouraged him to attend a summer coaching camp at school. The sport gradually became a serious pursuit, prompting his family to move to Mumbai so that he could access better training facilities and work with Olympian and coach Suma Shirur.
The men’s team silver added to India’s growing medal tally in shooting at the Asian Games. A day earlier, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod had won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle team event, with Elavenil subsequently adding another silver in the individual competition.
India’s shooting contingent had recorded a historic 22-medal haul at the Hangzhou Asian Games, comprising seven gold, nine silver and six bronze medals.
(With PTI inputs)
