Who Are Suruchi Singh And Kamaljeet? Indian Duo Who Paired Up At The Last Minute To Win Asian Games Gold

Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh won India’s second gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, September 25, taking the title after a late lineup change.

Kamaljeet replaced Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve after his strong show in Thursday’s men’s 10m air pistol qualification. He shot 580 to finish ninth overall and was India’s best-placed shooter. Sportstar reported that the National Rifle Association of India then reshuffled the pairing.

The switch paid off immediately. Kamaljeet and Suruchi won the first shooting gold of the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Games and set an Asian record with 484.6. The result also gave India its second gold medal of the Games.

Kamaljeet’s Rise

Kamaljeet hails from Sulkha in Rewari, Haryana. He competes in the 10m air pistol and 50m pistol events.

He came from a middle-class background and faced steep financial hurdles in his early years in shooting. He paid for coaching, gear and entry fees on his own and at one stage considered quitting the sport. His parents’ financial and emotional support kept him in the game.

A career-ending track-and-field injury changed his path. Kamaljeet was initially an athlete before he moved into competitive shooting in 2019.

Junior Gold To Senior

His first major international result came in 2023. Kamaljeet won gold in the 50m pistol junior men’s event at the ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon, South Korea.

That title helped him break into the senior circuit. Since then, he has grown into a contender in both the 10m air pistol and 50m pistol disciplines.

Suruchi’s Rapid Ascent

Suruchi Inder Singh was born on April 28, 2006, in Jhajjar, Haryana. She has quickly emerged as one of India’s leading 10m air pistol shooters.

Her sporting journey began elsewhere. Backed by a sports-oriented family, she briefly tried wrestling before moving to shooting at the age of 13. She trained under coach Suresh Singh at the Guru Dronacharya Shooting Academy in Bhiwani.

Her rise gathered pace in 2025. Suruchi won three straight individual ISSF World Cup gold medals in Buenos Aires, Lima and Munich. She also finished on the mixed team podium at the Lima World Cup.

She peaked later that season in Doha. At the ISSF World Cup Final, Suruchi won gold and set a Junior World Record of 245.1 points in the 10m air pistol final.

The form carried into 2026. She won another World Cup gold in Munich and also took silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the 2026 Asian Championships.