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Maheshwari Chauhan, one of the India's key shotgun athletes who missed a coveted medal at the Paris Olympics by a whisker, wants to take forward learning lessons to the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya games.
The 30-year-old is currently part of an Asian Games preparatory camp for trap and skeet shooters at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. According to a press release from NRAI, a total of 12 shooters - six each from the skeet and trap teams - are a part of the camp, sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), to be held until August 18. SAI has provided financial assistance to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for organising the camp which also covers boarding and lodging, travel, range facilities, ammunition and consumables, coaching and support staff, among other requirements. Maheshwari and Anantjeet Singh Naruka finished fourth in the mixed team skeet event in Paris, missing the bronze medal by just one point. Their fourth-place finish was historic as they became the first Indian pair to reach the final of an Olympic skeet event. For Maheshwari, that experience, over the last two years, became a foundation for her next challenges. Speaking ahead of the Asian Games, she said her approach remains the same regardless of the stature of the competition. "My actual expectation (from my debut Asian Games) is to really just be very present and enjoy myself. I think I'm going to just have the same approach to any competition. The titles keep changing and the process and the approach stays the same," she told SAI Media on the sidelines of the camp. The Rajasthan shooter, who is also a Khelo India Athlete (KIA), said the Paris experience has given her greater confidence and a stronger foundation to build on. "A debut Olympic Games can be a little strange but I did really enjoy myself and it's given me a great base to build on and I think that's all I want to do going ahead, learn from that experience," she continued. Reflecting on the 2024 moment, Maheshwari added, "It isn't something that you can forget. And it just stays with you. And then you're always a little more motivated and hungrier to push yourself more." The ongoing camp includes Indian Shotgun Athletes selected for participation at the Asian Games 2026: Skeet team - Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan. Trap team - Kynan Chenai, Neeru Dhanda, Ahvar Rizvi, Manisha Keer, Shapath Bharadwaj, Aashima Ahlawat. (ANI)
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