Jind: It was a birthday to remember for 20-year-old shooter Himanshu Dhillon of Dahola village in Jind district as he won two silver medals for India in the 10m air rifle events at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan.Himanshu won silver in both the individual and team events, prompting celebrations in his native village. Family members and villagers distributed sweets and said a grand civic felicitation would be organised when he returns.Though originally from Dahola, Himanshu lives with his parents in Kaithal district. His uncle Sandeep Dhillon, who lives in Dahola and farms, said Himanshu’s father, a regional manager with an agriculture-sector company, was travelling to Dubai for a company event when the match was being played.“There was a lot of anxiety in the family. As soon as the flight landed in Dubai, he called me. I immediately told him that Himanshu had won a medal. The entire family was overjoyed,” Sandeep said.Himanshu’s grandmother Birmati said the family watched the match live on a mobile phone. “My grandson has fulfilled a very big dream of mine. He has been a hardworking and simple child since childhood. Now our dream is to see Himanshu win a gold medal for India at the Olympics,” she said.According to Sandeep, Himanshu initially took up wrestling after being sent with his brother to a Gurukul in Pundri. An injury during training forced him to give up the sport, after which he shifted to shooting.At the Pundri Gurukul, he met coach Kuldeep, who later moved to a shooting club in Kaithal. Himanshu followed him there and subsequently trained in Delhi to access better coaching and national-level camps.Sandeep said the joint family owns around eight acres of agricultural land but never compromised on Himanshu’s training despite limited resources.“We had been waiting for this day for years. Himanshu has made all our hard work and the family’s sacrifices worthwhile,” he said.Himanshu’s aunt Kiran said the family shifted to Kaithal to ensure his studies and shooting training continued smoothly. She said the competition was tough, with scores constantly changing, but years of training eventually paid off.The family said Himanshu particularly enjoys milk, curd, ghee and traditional Haryanvi churma.Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated Himanshu on his double-medal achievement and described it as a matter of pride for Haryana and the country.
