AI Generated Summary
- For a career that began with curiosity and an unexpected suggestion to try a different shooting discipline, the two Asian Games bronzes have now given Dhaliwal a place in Indian skeet history — and another step towards the Olympic stage.
- The Patiala-based shooter won bronze medals in both the women’s skeet team and mixed skeet team events, with the results marking India’s first Asian Games medals in the two skeet team categories.
- For Dhaliwal, born in 2001 and with family roots in Thikriwala village of Barnala district, the two medals represent the latest milestone in a shooting career that began almost by chance.
A childhood curiosity about weapons eventually led Parinaaz Dhaliwal to competitive shooting. More than a decade later, that interest has translated into a historic double podium finish for India at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.
The Patiala-based shooter won bronze medals in both the women’s skeet team and mixed skeet team events, with the results marking India’s first Asian Games medals in the two skeet team categories.
In the women’s event, Dhaliwal joined Haryana’s Raiza Dhillon and Rajasthan’s Maheshwari Chauhan to secure bronze. She returned to the range for the mixed team competition alongside Rajasthan shooter Anantjeet Singh Naruka, with the pair adding another bronze to India’s tally.
For Dhaliwal, born in 2001 and with family roots in Thikriwala village of Barnala district, the two medals represent the latest milestone in a shooting career that began almost by chance.
Her father, Rattandeep Singh Dhaliwal, recalls that his daughter had been interested in weapons from an early age. She initially experimented with air-rifle shooting before trying trap. It was during a visit to a shooting range in Patiala that someone operating the facility suggested skeet instead.
The discipline proved to be the right fit. Dhaliwal began training seriously in skeet in September 2015 and gradually worked her way through the competitive shooting system.
She first made her mark at the Punjab level before qualifying for pre-national and national competitions. Her performances eventually earned her a place in the Indian junior core group, putting her on the pathway to international competition.
Balancing sport with education was another challenge. Dhaliwal studied at Mayo College in Ajmer, where, according to her father, the school supported her sporting commitments by accommodating the absences necessitated by training camps and competitions. She later graduated from MCM College in Chandigarh.
As her career progressed, Dhaliwal also received exposure to international coaching. Her training has included working with overseas coaches, among them a Norwegian coach and French Olympic medallist Anthony Terras.
The financial demands of competitive shooting, particularly shotgun disciplines, meant that family support was crucial as she moved through the ranks. Her grandfather, too, played an important role in backing her sporting ambitions.
Dhaliwal had represented India at the previous Asian Games but returned without a medal. At Aichi-Nagoya, however, she found herself with two chances to reach the podium through the team competitions — and converted both.
An individual medal remained out of reach, but two bronzes from the same Games provided a significant breakthrough.
For her family back home, confirmation of the first medal brought an emotional phone call.
“She called me after winning and said, ‘I made it,’” Rattandeep said, recalling that his daughter was delighted with the result despite experiencing a slight headache following the competition.
The medals are unlikely to alter the larger target Dhaliwal has set for herself. Her ambition remains to represent India at the Olympic Games and return with a medal.
The Asian Games performance also drew appreciation back home in Punjab, with Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer congratulating the shooter on social media.
For a career that began with curiosity and an unexpected suggestion to try a different shooting discipline, the two Asian Games bronzes have now given Dhaliwal a place in Indian skeet history — and another step towards the Olympic stage.
