India's shooting brigade and combat sports athletes delivered an emphatic multi-medal surge on Day 3 of the 20th Asian Games at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery and Nagoya Exhibition Halls. Seventeen-year-old debutant Himanshu Dhillon kept his composure under intense final-round pressure to secure individual silver in the men’s 10m air rifle with a tally of 252.4 points, edging out compatriot and former world champion Rudrankksh Patil (230.9), who claimed bronze. Earlier in the morning qualification stage, the pair joined forces with Parth Mane to capture the men's team silver with a collective score of 1890.1. Adding to India's historic morning, veteran martial artist Suchika Tariyal earned India’s first-ever continental medal in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), taking bronze in the women's traditional 60kg bracket after an overtime stalemate was settled on a razor-thin 700-gram pre-bout weigh-in differential.

Double Individual Podium and Team Silver at the Aichi Shooting Range

In a high-octane eight-man 10m air rifle final, Rudrankksh Patil dictated the tempo from the opening stage, leading the field with 106.0 points after the first 10 competition shots and holding his lead through shot 14 (148.2). However, reigning Olympic champion Sheng Lihao of China launched an aggressive late rally, posting consecutive 10.7 and 10.8 strikes to clinch gold with an Asian Games record of 254.2 points.

Also Read: What Is Rape-aXe? The Controversial Anti-Sexual-Assault Device Designed in South Africa

The battle for the remaining podium steps turned into an all-Indian duel. On the 21st elimination shot, a 9.7 from Rudrankksh opened the door for the teenage sensation Himanshu Dhillon—who had earlier fired a tournament-high 10.9—to pull ahead by 0.1 points. Himanshu closed out the final with 252.4 to lock down silver, while Rudrankksh settled for bronze at 230.9.

In the team classification, backed by Parth Mane's 628.3 qualification round, India's aggregate of 1890.1 earned team silver behind China (1899.0 World Record) and ahead of South Korea (1884.2), lifting India’s overall shooting haul to five medals within the first 72 hours of competition under the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

"To compete shot-for-shot against an Olympic champion and a former world champion on this stage is an incredible feeling. Sticking to the process was the only goal," stated 17-year-old Himanshu Dhillon after the medal ceremony.

Historic Combat Breakthrough: The 700g Weigh-In Standoff

In the combat arena, 36-year-old judoka-turned-mixed martial artist Suchika Tariyal etched her name into the continental record books by capturing India’s first-ever Asian Games medal in Mixed Martial Arts under the auspices of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Also Read: Dhirendra Shastri Announces 500-km Rath Yatra for ‘Hindu Rashtra’ in Madhya Pradesh; Constitutional Debate Intensifies

Competing in the women's traditional 60kg semifinal against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo, Tariyal leaned on her extensive judo pedigree, executing critical counter-throws and ground control in Round 2 to push the grueling contest into a sudden-death one-minute overtime period. While cage-side judges initially favored Singapore, the Indian coaching staff submitted a formal video review appeal backed by the mandatory $1,000 challenge fee, prompting the arbitration panel to overturn the decision and declare the fight an official draw.

Under OCA Asian MMA technical regulations, an overtime stalemate is adjudicated through a strict hierarchical tie-breaker: caution warnings, official referee interventions, and finally, official morning weigh-in records. Because Teo clocked in approximately 700 grams lighter on the scales during morning inspections, the final berth was awarded to the Singaporean contender, leaving Tariyal with a landmark bronze medal.

Table Tennis Sweep: India Blanks Pakistan 3-0

India’s multi-sport momentum continued in table tennis, where the women's national team posted a commanding 3-0 clean sweep over Pakistan in their final Group F encounter. Clinical, straight-game victories by Sutirtha Mukherjee, Cinderella Das, and Commonwealth Games medalist Sreeja Akula dismantled the opposition without dropping a single game, comfortably sealing a quarter-final berth in the team championships.