A selection gamble made barely 48 hours before the deadline delivered spectacularly for India Friday as Kamaljeet, drafted into the 10m air pistol mixed team after Kedarling Uchaganve’s dip in form, combined with Suruchi Inder Singh to win Asian Games gold. The hastily assembled pair produced a Games and Asian record score of 484.6 to comfortably beat South Korea and finally end India’s six-day wait for a gold medal at the shooting range.
The triumph could hardly have come at a more important time for the Indian shooting contingent, which had endured a frustrating campaign despite arriving with several established international names. As medal opportunities slipped away and double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh were among those who fell short of expectations, the pressure had steadily increased before Kamaljeet and Suruchi finally delivered the breakthrough.
A call made at the eleventh hour
Kedarling had originally been selected to partner Suruchi in the mixed team event after earning his place in India’s 30-member Asian Games squad through domestic trials and a strong performance at the National Championships. His form, however, deteriorated after selection, prompting the National Rifle Association of India to reconsider the combination as the deadline for making changes approached.
A senior coach said Kedarling’s slump eventually convinced the selectors that a change was necessary. The decision to bring in Kamaljeet was made after obtaining the required consent from the NRAI selection committee, its president and secretary-general, as well as the Sports Authority of India.
That left Kamaljeet with virtually no time to settle into a new partnership. Suruchi, meanwhile, entered the event looking to recover from the disappointment of her individual campaign, meaning both shooters carried considerable pressure when they took their positions on the firing line.
Instead of being unsettled by the late change, the pair produced India’s finest shooting performance of the Games so far. Their combined 484.6 not only secured gold but also established new Asian Games and Asian marks, turning what had been an emergency selection decision into the defining call of India’s shooting campaign.
Kedarling’s form forced rethink
The reasons behind the late switch had become particularly evident during the men’s 10m air pistol competition Thursday. Kedarling finished 35th with a score of 568 as India failed to challenge for a medal in the team event involving him, Kamaljeet and Aakash Bhardwaj.
Kedarling appeared to struggle technically during qualification and was seen adjusting his pistol settings midway through the competition, prompting concern among the national coaches watching from the spectator area. The performance came after the Army Marksmanship Unit shooter had earned his Asian Games berth on the strength of considerably better results during the selection process.
His personal coach Himmat Singh, a former shooter associated with the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow, had travelled to the venue but was unable to watch Kedarling’s qualification from inside the range. Personal coaches are not accredited for the Games, with accreditation restricted to members of the national coaching set-up.
Singh subsequently bought a spectator ticket hoping to watch his ward compete, only to find that it allowed him access to the finals range rather than the qualification range. The two facilities at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery are located in separate buildings. “I had come to watch Kedarling shoot, but unfortunately I could not and missed watching his qualification,” Singh said, without suggesting whether his presence might have altered the outcome.
Suruchi, Kamaljeet seize their chance
For Kamaljeet, the sudden promotion to the mixed team offered an opportunity that had not been part of the original Asian Games plan. With little preparation time alongside Suruchi, he nevertheless adapted immediately as the Indians established themselves at the front of the field and refused to surrender control.
Suruchi also responded emphatically after the disappointment of the individual competition. The partnership’s record 484.6 against South Korea gave India not merely another shooting medal but the gold that had remained elusive through the opening six days of competition.
The result also vindicated a difficult selection call made when the shooting campaign was already under scrutiny. India had replaced an athlete who had earned his Asian Games place through the established selection system, but the decision was driven by his subsequent loss of form and made with barely enough time remaining to alter the entry.
Forty-eight hours later, the replacement had a gold medal around his neck. For an Indian shooting contingent desperately searching for a breakthrough, the last-minute gamble had produced precisely the result it needed.