Sep 25, 2026, 12:02 IST
NEW DELHI: “Final mein gayi, to gold hi layegi,” an elated Suresh Singh said after his student Suruchi Inder Singh helped India win its first gold medal of the day at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday.Suruchi and her teammate Kamaljeet won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, finishing on top at the Aichi General Shooting Range to give India its second gold medal of the Games.For Suruchi, the victory came after a disappointing individual event.The Haryana shooter, who won four individual World Cup gold medals in 2025 in Buenos Aires, Munich, Lima and Doha, including the World Cup Final, failed to qualify for the final in the individual 10m air pistol event. In a field of 55 shooters, she finished 26th in qualification with a score of 568-12x.“She was disappointed. But I knew she would come back stronger. She knows how to bounce back quickly, and that is her best quality. The moment she reached the final, I was 200 percent sure that she would win gold. That’s how she is,” the coach said.
Suruchi’s gold-winning show
Suruchi and Kamaljeet were in control from the start of the mixed team final. The pair scored 103.0 in the first series of Stage 1, followed by 202.4 and 303.5. They continued their strong performance in Stage 2, scoring 364.7 in the first series and staying comfortably ahead of South Korea and Iran.After 18 shots, India remained at the top and extended their lead with a score of 424.9 in the second series of Stage 2.Suruchi and Kamaljeet eventually finished with a total score of 484.6 to win the gold medal.South Korea’s Suhyeon Hong and Gaeun Choo finished second with 478.0. The Korean pair were 6.6 points behind the Indians, underlining India’s control of the final.“She is an athlete for the finals. Look at her past record. If she has reached the final, then you can’t stop her. She will go for gold. She doesn’t want silver or bronze. She has that kind of hunger,” Suresh said.
Hours of work before the Asian Games
Ahead of the Asian Games, Suruchi worked on several aspects of her shooting with Suresh at his Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani.The coach said they focused on her technique, holding and dry-fire training. Suruchi’s father had initially wanted her to take up wrestling.“She worked on her holding and did dry-fire training for hours to improve her focus. We also worked on some technical aspects,” he said.One of the key areas they focused on was timing.“The most important focus was on timing. I am a coach who focuses on timing and wants my shooter to finish the match early. I told the same thing to Suruchi. We used to decide a particular time and try to finish the shot within that time.“For example, if you have 60 seconds for one shot, finish that shot early. It helps you take the pressure off yourself and allows you to focus,” he said.Now, Suresh is waiting to welcome his student home.“I am just waiting for her. She has made everyone proud. We are eagerly waiting to welcome her,” the coach said.
