Mirabai Chanu wins silver medal at Asian Games, matching Karnam Malleswari

Abdulvakhob Rashidov won at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games held in Japan, bringing the Uzbekistan national team its first gold medal of this tournament.

Uzbekistan, Tashkent – AN Podrobno.uz.

The Uzbek athlete, who specializes in karate, competed in the under 67 kg weight category. In the final stage of the competition, Rashidov fought against Yugo Kozaki, representing the host country, and managed to emerge victorious.

This success allowed Rashidov to add the first gold to the collection of the Uzbekistan national team at the current Asian Games. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games gather athletes from various Asian countries.

It is worth noting that previously, boxers from Uzbekistan had achieved success at an international tournament, collecting three gold medals in the city of Chita.

A very special moment occurred for Manyu Bhakar during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games in Yokohama. After she raised the national flag as part of the Indian team, she became emotional and remembered her late coach, Jaspal Rana. The star shooter, Manyu, noted that Rana's absence beside her at such an important moment was very difficult for her.

After the ceremony, Manyu Bhakar said: 'I missed Jaspal sir very much. This day was truly touching because he couldn't be with me.' Jaspal Rana was a former Indian shooting champion and later a successful coach. In the early stages of Manyu's career, he prepared this shooter not only technically but also psychologically. His guidance played a key role in Manyu winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Jaspal Rana passed away on June 11, 2026, at the age of 49. Following his death, it was the first major opportunity for Manyu Bhakar to lead the Indian delegation at the opening ceremony of a multi-sport competition. Previously, Manyu had mentioned that Jaspal Rana gave her specific advice regarding the opening ceremonies of multi-sport events.

He believed that if the competitions were starting soon, the athlete should focus on conserving energy rather than the ceremony itself. Rana advised Manyu to participate in the opening ceremony only if she was the flag bearer for the Indian team; otherwise, it was better to watch the ceremony on television and prepare for the competitions.

At the 2018 Asian Games, Manyu did not participate in the opening ceremony for this reason. At that time, she was in Palembang, while the main sports village was located in Jakarta.

At the Mizuho Athletics Stadium in Yokohama on Saturday, Manyu Bhakar once again led the Indian team. For the 24-year-old shooter, this was one of the moments in her career that Rana had foreseen in the early stages. This is why her emotions intensified during the ceremony. His absence at that moment, for which he once inspired her to move forward, was the most touching aspect for Manyu.

After the ceremony, Manyu Bhakar's attention will be focused entirely on the competitions. She will represent India at the Asian Games in the Women's 10m Air Pistol, Women's 25m Pistol, and Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol disciplines.

Indian shooters demonstrated outstanding performance at the Asian Games 2026, securing their first medal for the country on September 20 (Sunday). India won the silver medal in the team event of 10-meter air rifle shooting.

The Indian team consisted of Ilavelil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Kochulamkal Vinod. These three shooters delivered excellent results, earning India the silver award.

At the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery range, the Indian team scored a total of 1898.0 points after six shooting series, placing second.

The gold medal was won by the Chinese team, comprising Jifei Wang, Jiayu Han, and Yuchen Du, who scored a record 1904.2 points. The bronze medal went to the Japanese team, including Hinata Taichi, Misaki Nobatu, and Shiori Hirata, with a score of 1897.1 points.

Indian shooters Ilavelil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar also qualified for the individual final in 10-meter air rifle shooting. In the qualification round, Sonam Maskar placed third with 634.1 points, and Ilavelil placed seventh with 633.5 points. The leader in the qualification was Jifei Wang from China with a score of 636.8 points.

In the 10-meter air rifle team event, the Indian squad showed strong play from the beginning. The team successfully reached the podium, demonstrating accurate shooting under pressure. Thanks to the combined efforts of the three athletes, including Ilavelil Valarivan, who has extensive international experience, as well as Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod, India managed to win silver in this discipline.

Shooting remains one of the main sports bringing medals to India at the Asian Games. This success of the Indian shooters in Nagoya is important for the country's overall medal tally. The results of the Indian shooters at the Asian Games 2026 raise expectations for future medals.