Historic skeet bronze marks coming of age for India’s shotgun women at Asian Games

India’s historic women’s skeet bronze at the Asian Games could be the beginning of a much bigger rise for shotgun shooting in the country, Olympian Maheshwari Chauhan said Wednesday, pointing to a younger crop of shooters benefiting from vastly improved technical, nutritional and psychological support.

Maheshwari, Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal combined for a score of 331 to secure bronze, giving India its first-ever women’s skeet medal at the Asian Games. While Maheshwari admitted to some disappointment over not winning a better-coloured medal, the 30-year-old said the breakthrough showed how far the discipline had progressed.

“I’m a little disappointed about it not being a better colour, but it’s better to have finished on the podium,” Maheshwari said. “It’s the first medal for the skeet women at Asian Games ever.”

A stepping stone

Maheshwari and Raiza brought Olympic experience to the team, while Parinaaz represents the younger generation emerging through India’s shotgun programme. The trio entered the competition in strong form, leaving Maheshwari convinced that the bronze could serve as a platform for greater success.

“I think we’re in great form,” she said. “I’m really hoping that we’ll go with a few more medals. I think it’s just a stepping stone for better podium finishes and better opportunities for better competition.”

For years, India’s international shooting success has largely been driven by rifle and pistol events, disciplines backed by a large domestic talent pool and intense competition. Shotgun, particularly women’s skeet, has lacked comparable depth.

Maheshwari believes that is beginning to change.

“I genuinely feel like that’s been the reason because we just didn’t have enough high-performing athletes and enough female athletes to begin with,” she said, adding that the level of domestic competition in rifle remained unmatched.

Rather than directly comparing the disciplines, however, Maheshwari pointed to the changing profile of India’s shotgun shooters. The pool is getting younger while athletes are arriving at the senior level with stronger technical foundations.

“The shotgun crowd today is much younger and all of them are at a much higher technical quality and level,” she said. “I do feel like you’re going to see a lot more of shotgun doing better overall.”

Stronger from the start

Having spent around a decade in the sport, Maheshwari said the biggest transformation was visible in the quality of preparation available to shooters at the beginning of their careers.

“The biggest advantage is just the level that the Indians are now starting their training at,” she said. “I remember back when I started, the domestic level was not at a great level. We didn’t have the right kind of technical training, nutritional training, psychological training.”

The stronger foundation, she said, has dramatically reduced the amount of time young shooters need to reach international standards. Performances that once required several years of development are now being produced much earlier.

“You can see people having record scores and podium finishes in the last year, which in, let’s say, the last decade would have taken someone seven to 10 years to have the same performances,” Maheshwari said.

She attributed the change not merely to improvements in shooting technique but to the broader ecosystem surrounding athletes, including training programmes, infrastructure and support schemes.

“The results are better and they’re only going to get better. The schemes are better. The entire infrastructure for sports is better in India,” she said. “I’ve been in the game for 10 years now. And for me, it’s night and day.”

Eyes on next cycle

The transformation has been significant enough for Maheshwari to admit she envies young shooters entering the sport today.

“I feel jealous that I wish I was starting out now and the opportunities were like that,” she said.

Her own competitive season has ended after she missed selection for the World Championships. Maheshwari plans to take a short break before returning for the domestic season in December, which will mark the beginning of another Olympic cycle.

The Asian Games bronze, however, has given her reason to look ahead with optimism. India now has its first women’s skeet medal at the continental Games and, more importantly for Maheshwari, a growing pool of shooters capable of building on it.

“It’s definitely like onwards and upwards,” she said.