Meet the men's 10m air rifle team that clinched India's first Asian Games 2023 gold with world record effort
In a historic display of skill and precision, Indian shooters Divyansh Singh Panwar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Rudrankksh Patil secured a gold medal at the Asian Games 2023 in the men's 10m Air Rifle team event. Their remarkable achievement not only marked India's first gold at the Games but also set a new world record.
FollowIntroducing the remarkable trio of Divyansh Singh Panwar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Rudrankksh Patil, who achieved an extraordinary feat for India by securing the gold medal in the men's 10m Air Rifle team event at the Asian Games 2023. In an astonishing display, they not only clinched the gold but also shattered a world record in the process.
Indian sharpshooters Divyansh Singh Panwar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Rudrankksh Patil etched their names in history by smashing the world record in the men's 10m Air Rifle team event, securing India's first gold medal at the Asian Games 2023. Their combined score of 1893.7 points surpassed China's previous record of 1893.3 points achieved at the World Championships in Baku earlier that year.
In this remarkable journey, Rudrankksh (632.5) claimed the third position, while Aishwary (631.6) secured the fifth spot, both earning their places in the men's 10m Air Rifle individual final scheduled for later that day. Notably, all three Indian shooters achieved positions within the top eight, with Divyansh also performing admirably but not advancing to the final due to rules allowing only two shooters from each country to participate. Therefore, Patil and Tomar, having achieved higher rankings, were set to compete again at 9 AM.
Initially ranked fourth, the Indian team experienced the typical fluctuations seen in shooting rankings as shooters completed their 10-shot series. Rudrankksh and Tomar found themselves in the lower half of the top ten, while Divyansh was in the 17th position. However, their collective effort propelled India to third place in the team rankings, raising hopes of a medal.
After nearly an hour of competition, Aishwary ascended to the fourth position, having fired 51 shots with an impressive average of 10.520. Rudrankksh maintained the same average of 10.520, moving to the 11th position with 46 shots, while Divyansh also climbed to the 11th position with an average of 10.485 after 45 shots. With all three shooters significantly improving their rankings ahead of the final series, India was poised for a gold medal.
Therefore, the Indian team, consisting of world champion Rudrankksh, Olympian Divyansh, and Aishwary, amassed a total of 1893.7 points in the qualification round, surpassing the world record of 1893.3 points set by the Chinese less than a month earlier. Rudrankksh scored 632.5, Tomar 631.6, and Panwar 629.6, contributing to the world record score. South Korea secured the silver medal with a total score of 1890.1, while China claimed the bronze with 1888.2 points.
This achievement marked India's third medal in shooting at the 19th edition of the Asian Games, following the silver medal in the women's 10m Air Rifle team event, where Ashi Chouksey, Mehuli Ghosh, and Ramita were the contributors. Additionally, Ramita clinched the bronze medal in the women's 10m Air Rifle individual event. In total, India has garnered seven medals at the Games, including one gold, along with three silver and three bronze medals. Remarkably, four of these medals were secured in rowing events.
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