Asian Shooting Championships 2025: India fields largest-ever squad - Preview

India is all set to field its largest-ever shooting squad at the 16th Asian Shooting Championships, beginning August 16 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

India will field 164 shooters across rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines in both Olympic and non-Olympic events. Of these, 35 seniors and 36 juniors are travelling with government support, while the remaining participants are self-funded as per competition rules.

The first batch of skeet and pistol shooters has already departed ahead of the opening ceremony, with rifle specialists and non-Olympic event participants scheduled to follow.

Pistol powerhouses lead the charge

At the forefront of the campaign is Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympian and one of India’s most versatile pistol shooters, capable of excelling in both 10m air pistol and 25m sports pistol events. Her experience and ability to deliver under pressure make her one of India’s top medal hopes.

Alongside her is Saurabh Chaudhary, an Olympic finalist and Asian Games champion, whose composure and precision in the 10m air pistol event have earned him multiple ISSF World Cup titles. His presence adds significant depth to the pistol squad.

Adding youthful energy to the mix is rising talent Aditya Malra, who has been making waves on the domestic circuit and is now eager to prove himself at the continental level.

The spotlight will also be on Suruchi Singh Inder, who clinched a hat-trick of individual ISSF World Cup golds in women’s 10m air pistol this season, a run that has firmly established her as one of India’s fastest-rising shooting stars. She's expected to be a strong medal contender in Shymkent.

Rifle aces and seasoned campaigners

On the rifle side, Rudrankksh Patil, a reigning world champion, will aim to carry his dominance to the continental stage, while Akhil Sheoran, the current Asian champion in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions, will look to defend his title. Seasoned campaigners like Chain Singh and Mehuli Ghosh bring valuable experience and proven scoring ability.

The women’s rifle squad is bolstered by Sift Kaur Samra, the Asian Games champion and world record-holder in 50m rifle 3 positions finals, who has been one of India’s most consistent performers in the event.

Building on past success

India will look to better their third-place finish from last year’s edition in Changwon, South Korea, where they won 19 medals (6 gold, 8 silver, 5 bronze). With recent strong results at ISSF World Cups in South America and Germany, the shooters are confident of surpassing that tally and aiming for a higher spot in the medal standings.

National head coach Samaresh Jung said the preparation camps in Dehradun and Delhi have fine-tuned the shooters’ skills. “The camp is going well, and the players are in shape. We have a great pool of young and talented shooters,” he said.

The Shymkent championships are expected to offer stiff competition, with top Asian shooters like China’s world-record holder Wang Zifei in the fray. The event also serves as a vital build-up to the World Championships in Cairo later this year and the Asian Games in Japan in 2026.

Where to watch

Fans in India can catch the action live on the ISSF YouTube channel, which will stream only the finals. There will be no live television broadcast in India.