Asian Games 2023: Mehuli Ghosh, Ramita, Ashi Choksey win India's first medal, claim women's 10m Air Rifle team silver

This is India's first medal in the current edition of the Continental Meet.

India have started their medal rush in the Asian Games 2023 by winning silver in the 10m Air Rifle Women's shooting team event. A total 15 teams from different nations battled it out at Fuyang Yinhu Sports Center Shooting Range, Fuyang District, China PR on the first day of the competition. The Indian trio of Ramita, Ashi Chouksey, and Mehuli Ghosh grabbed silver with total points of 1886.0 after six series of shooting. Ramita and Mehuli Ghosh also qualified for the individual final.

India were brilliant right from the start with some precise shooting. Ramita was at her accurate best, as she kept teasing the perfect 10.9. Her second series was a hallmark as she pocketed a total of 106.7 in 10 shots.

Although the scores did fall in the next two series with 105.2 and 104.3, the Haryana shooter bounced back in the final two with 105.4 and 106. Mehuli Ghosh, who recently won the bronze in the ISSF World Championship continued her good form to finish fifth overall with total points of 630.8. The consistency of the 22-year-old was on display as her scores in each series were around 105. She finished fifth overall and qualified for the Individual finals along with Ramita who finished second.

These two were ably supported by Ashi Chouksey. She did put up a good fight in every round to keep India in the hunt for a medal. They were given stiff competition from the hosts China, as they won the gold with a remarkable score of 1896.6. The highlight of the event was when Han Jiayu of China broke her colleague Zhao Ruozhu's previous record for the Qualification Asian Record with a score of 634.1.

Meanwhile, Mongolia bagged the bronze medal with a score of 1880. This win is a huge confidence booster for India after the results of the Tokyo Olympics. And if this is a sign of things to come, then India might expect a great campaign in the Paris Olympics 2024 next year.