05 October,2026 09:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan Carvalho
Rudrankksh Patil at the recent Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Pic/Special arrangement
[popcorn number="Four" desc="No. of medals won by Rudrankksh Patil across the last two Asian Games; 1 gold, 2 silvers, 1 bronze" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="12" desc="The age at which Rudrankksh Patil took up shooting" class="Default"]
The Indian shooting contingent clinched 15 medals at the recently-concluded Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and Thane's Rudrankksh Patil contributed to one-fifth of that tally.
Patil won an individual bronze in the 10m air rifle, besides silver medals in the 10m air rifle team event and 50m rifle 3P team competition.
While there was no gold medal around his neck, Patil reckons his three of podium finishes mean just as much, having endured a turbulent 2026 season.
"This year wasn't going too well for me, as I was competing in two events [10m and 50m] for the first time. The rules regarding kit stiffness were also changed. Now, we use a softer kit and it took me a while to get used to it. So I was struggling with confidence. Things got even worse when I shot my lowest score in a recent trial. Plus, in this second Olympic cycle, I felt there was more pressure on me to perform. So, ultimately, it feels special to have won three medals," Patil, 22, told mid-day.
After initially dabbling in football and chess, Patil's first foray into shooting came at the age of 12, when he attended a summer camp at his school, Hiranandani Foundation School in Thane. His coach was so impressed with his performance that he urged Patil's mother to send him for weekend training.
Six years later, in 2022, Patil became only the second Indian shooter after Abhinav Bindra to win a world championship title.
The landmark achievement made the then 18-year-old the cynosure of all eyes. While some youngsters may buckle under the burden of expectations, Patil chose to embrace them instead, which perhaps explains his continued success.
"I viewed the expectations as a blessing, since it means that people think you are actually capable of winning in the future. More than outside pressure, I always have pressure from within too. In fact, I had put a lot of pressure on myself even before the 2022 World Championships in Egypt. Despite having just transitioned to the senior level, I was embarrassed not to win a medal in my first few tournaments," explained Patil, who won gold in the 10m air rifle at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
The next big target for the young marksman is qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"I'm working on managing both the 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3P events simultaneously, while also improving my overall scores. Those are the main items on my agenda, which will hopefully help me qualify for the Olympics," he signed off.
