Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet won the maiden gold medal in shooting for India at the Asian Games 2026 after a stunning performance in the mixed team event.Kamaljeet and Suruchi shot a total of 484.6 in the final. They were followed by South Korea’s Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo, who finished second with 478.0. The Korean pair were 6.6 points behind Kamaljeet and Suruchi, underlining the Indian duo’s dominance in the final.Iran bagged the bronze medal with 415.8.But Suruchi’s journey to the Asian Games gold medal was far from easy. The 19-year-old comes from a humble family in Haryana, and when TimesofIndia.com spoke to her coach Suresh Singh last year, he recalled how he agreed to train her, but only after laying down his own conditions.
From Jhajjar’s fields to the shooting range
Born in Jhajjar, Haryana, Suruchi comes from a humble family. Her coach, Suresh Singh, has previously recalled how the youngster remains closely connected to her roots, helping with work at home and even operating farm machinery.“If she weren’t at the World Cup today, she’d be home harvesting wheat,” Suresh had told TOI.When Suruchi and her father, Inder Singh, first met the coach, her father made his priority clear: he wanted his daughter to learn discipline alongside the sport. Suresh agreed to take her on, but with a condition, Suruchi would have to follow his system rather than simply focus on pulling the trigger.That decision changed her career.Suruchi won medals at the 2022 and 2023 Nationals before producing a spectacular breakthrough in 2024, when she won seven gold medals at the National Championships in Delhi. She followed that up with two more gold medals at the National Games in Uttarakhand.In 2025, Suruchi began making headlines on the ISSF World Cup circuit, winning individual gold medals in Lima, Buenos Aires and Munich.
The ritual before every big match
Despite her international success, Suruchi has retained one habit that keeps her connected to the person who helped shape her career. Before a competition, she calls her coach. Even at major international events, she would contact Suresh minutes before stepping onto the range.“Sir, I have five minutes before I go in, what should I do?” she would ask.The Asian Games gold also reflected the mentality Suruchi has developed through years of training. If she decides to fire 150 shots during a training session and the final shot does not land where she wants it to, Suruchi does not simply pack up and leave. She keeps shooting until she gets the result she wants.
Asian Games gold completes another breakthrough
The road to Friday’s gold had not been entirely smooth. Suruchi finished 26th in the women’s individual 10m air pistol qualification at the Asian Games, while India also missed out on a medal in the women’s team event.But the mixed team event offered another opportunity.Suruchi and Kamaljeet seized it. They topped the qualification before carrying that momentum into the final. Their 484.6 points gave them a clear advantage over South Korea and secured India’s maiden gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
