Kazakhstan Takes Gold, India Strikes Twice in Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions

India continued its strong run at the Asian Shooting Championships 2026 in New Delhi , with Aakriti Dahiya delivering a breakthrough performance to secure a silver medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event on Tuesday. The competition, being held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range , saw high drama as Kazakhstan’s rising star Sofiya Shulzhenko shattered records en route to gold.

The 24-year-old Aakriti Dahiya shot 354.2 across the kneeling, prone and standing stages to clinch her first individual continental medal , underlining India’s growing depth in rifle shooting. Veteran Anjum Moudgil , a two-time Olympian and former world championship medallist, claimed bronze with 340.4 , while Shulzhenko , just 18, stormed to gold with a world record 358.2 . Her performance also counted as new world junior, Asian and Asian junior records , marking one of the standout displays of the championship.

India narrowly missed a second individual podium spot as Ashi Chouksey , the Asian Games 2023 bronze medallist in the event, finished fourth with 330.9 . However, Chouksey joined Dahiya and Moudgil earlier to secure a team silver medal . The Indian trio totalled 1756-86x in qualification, finishing just four points behind Kazakhstan (1760-90x), while Japan took bronze.

Qualification rounds reflected India’s consistency. Anjum Moudgil shot 587-30x to place third, Chouksey scored 586-32x for fifth, and Dahiya’s 583-24x earned seventh. Vidarsa Vinod , competing under Ranking Points Only (RPO) status, topped qualification with 590-35x , while Ayushi Podder (582-20x) also shot in RPO.

The final turned decisively in the standing position , the most challenging discipline in 3P shooting. Shulzhenko was the only athlete to consistently cross the 50-point mark in the five-shot standing series, building a lead that the Indian shooters could not close as fatigue and pressure mounted.

With these results, India’s medal tally in senior events at the championship rose to 18 medals 8 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze reinforcing the country’s stature as a global rifle and pistol powerhouse. Organised by the Asian Shooting Confederation , the championship features shooters from 20 nations and will conclude on February 13 , serving as a crucial platform for emerging talents ahead of the next Olympic cycle.