Barmer/Jalore, Sept. 26 -- From a private shooting range on the outskirts of Jalore's Siyana village to the international arena in Japan, Maheshwari Chauhan has built a remarkable career in skeet shooting - one that has now brought an Asian Games bronze medal to the village. Maheshwari won the medal on Tuesday as part of India's women's skeet team at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She teamed up with Raiza Dhillon and Parinaz Dhaliwal, with the Indian trio scoring 331 points in the final. The medal sparked celebrations in Siyana, where villagers distributed sweets to mark the achievement. For Maheshwari's family, however, the medal is the latest chapter in a journey that began over a decade ago at a shooting range built by her father. "Maheshwari started shooting as a junior in 2012, and since then, she has never looked back. Her grandfather, Ganpati Singhji, has been her biggest inspiration, while her first coach, Amardeep Singh Rai, guided her in the early years," her father Pradeep Singh said. "Seeing her make the Indian team as a junior and go on to represent India at the Commonwealth Games, the Paris Olympics and now the Asian Games has been a matter of immense pride for our family. Watching her win medals for the country makes us incredibly proud". Born on July 4, 1996, in Siyana, Maheshwari grew up in a family with a strong shooting tradition. Her grandfather Ganpat Singh and father Pradeep Singh have competed at the national level. Recognising his daughter's interest in the sport, Pradeep Singh developed a private shooting range spread across 18 bighas on Akoli Road, about six kilometres from Siyana. Maheshwari began practising there alongside her grandfather, father and brother Dakheshwar Singh before moving on to train under national and international coaches. She developed a serious interest in shooting when she was around 15 and began competing internationally in 2013. She won medals at Grand Prix events in Italy, followed by a silver in women's skeet in 2014 and bronze in 2015. In 2017, she won bronze in women's skeet at the Asian Shotgun Championship in Kazakhstan, and also contributed to India's silver medal in the team event. The following year, she won gold in women's skeet at the National Shooting Championship, further establishing herself among India's leading shooters. The year 2024 brought another major breakthrough. Maheshwari won bronze at the Asian Championship in Kuwait before securing silver at the ISSF Final Olympic Qualification Championship in Doha, earning an Olympic quota for India. At the Paris Olympics, she narrowly missed a medal in the mixed skeet event with Anantjeet Singh Naruka. They finished fourth, missing bronze by one point. She also competed in the women's individual skeet event. The disappointment did not derail her. Maheshwari continued to train and returned to the podium at the 2026 Asian Games, this time as part of India's women's skeet team. Her latest medal has brought fresh attention to the village where her journey began. Maheshwari is married to Ajayraj Singh Rathore of Kelwa in Udaipur, who has also competed at national level in shooting. Maheshwari has credited her family for consistently supporting her sporting ambitions. "I am happy that through shooting, I am helping put Siyana, a small place, on the international map," she said....