India Clinches Silver in 50m Rifle 3 Positions at Asian Games 2026
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Delivering another medal-winning performance on the international ranges, the Indian men's shooting contingent captured the silver medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions team event at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, September 25. The trio of Olympian Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar, seasoned competitor Neeraj Kumar, and world champion Rudraksh Balasaheb Patil combined for a total team score of 1762 points. Powerhouse China claimed the gold medal with a dominant shooting sequence, while South Korea settled for the bronze medal. The team performance further bolstered India’s overall medal standing at the continental championship, reflecting the depth of precision rifle talent representing the nation on the Asian circuit.
Individual Score Breakdown: Aishwarya and Neeraj Advance to Final as Rudraksh Misses Out
The qualification round witnessed a high-intensity battle across the kneeling, prone, and standing positions. Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar spearheaded the Indian challenge by shooting an overall tally of 589, maintaining his qualification momentum despite a minor blip in his final standing series where he shot a 95. Neeraj Kumar produced a clutch performance right behind him, carding 588 points, anchored by a flawless 100 in his standing series to cement his spot among the medal contenders. Rudraksh Patil registered a solid score of 585; however, under international shooting regulations stipulating that only a maximum of two athletes from a single nation can advance to the individual eight-man final, Patil was eliminated from individual contention despite contributing to the team podium.
Proven World Champions and Continental Powerhouses: Profiles of India’s Silver Medal Trio
The silver-winning trio represents elite pedigree across international rifle shooting:
Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar: Born on February 3, 2001, in Ratanpur village, Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh, Tomar picked up shooting inspired by his Olympian cousin Navdeep Singh Rathore before joining the Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy in Bhopal in 2015. A two-time Olympian (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), Tomar first gained global prominence in 2019 by setting a junior world record at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl and has won multiple ISSF World Cup gold medals and Asian Championship titles.
Neeraj Kumar: Born on January 21, 2000, Neeraj has developed into one of India’s steadiest 50m rifle 3 positions specialists, maintaining a top-15 global ranking. A member of India's bronze-winning squad at the 2022 ISSF World Championships in Cairo, Neeraj added an individual silver and team gold at the 2026 Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships in New Delhi before delivering his 100-point standing series in Nagoya.
Rudraksh Balasaheb Patil: Hailing from Thane, Maharashtra, the 22-year-old prodigy (born December 16, 2003) made sporting history at the 2022 ISSF World Championships in Cairo by winning individual 10m air rifle gold—becoming only the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to achieve the feat. A former World No. 1 with multiple ISSF World Cup and President's Cup titles, Patil adapted to the 50m 3-positions team discipline to deliver crucial points toward India's continental silver finish.
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