Kanurian Al Ghozi Makes History, Becoming the First Indonesian Shooting Athlete to Advance to the Asian Games Final.

Kanurian Al Ghozi has written new history for Indonesian shooting sport at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Japan. On his first ever appearance at Asia's largest multi-sport event, Ghozi became the first Indonesian shooting athlete to qualify for the Men's 10m Air Rifle final round.

Ghozi secured his final ticket after finishing 6th out of 46 competing athletes during the qualification round held at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery.

A score of 630.2 points was sufficient to advance him to the final, while also marking the highest official competitive score of Ghozi's entire career.

"This competition exceeded all my expectations, I never imagined I could produce this level of performance at the Asian Games. I had never even broken the 630 point mark before. What makes this even better is getting this final experience at my very first Asian Games," stated Ghozi, quoted from the official press release of the Indonesian National Olympic Committee.

Debutant Ghozi Qualifies Straight To The Final

Ghozi's achievement is made all the more remarkable as this was his first time competing at the Asian Games. He was the only one out of three Indonesian representatives in the Men's 10m Air Rifle event to progress past the qualification stage.

The other two Indonesian athletes, Anang Febrian and Fathur Gustafian, were eliminated in the qualification round. Anang finished 14th with a score of 627.4, while Fathur placed 23rd with 624.9 points.

The top eight athletes returned to the range to compete for medals. In the final, Ghozi faced off against Asia's elite shooters, including competitors with Olympic and World Cup competitive experience.

Ghozi Goes Up Against Olympic Champion

The final round presented an entirely new experience for Ghozi. Competition became far more intense, and every shot carried significantly greater pressure with only eight athletes remaining in contention.

Ghozi ultimately concluded the final round in 8th place with a total score of 123.2 points. While he did not return home with a medal, his achievement still stands as a historic milestone for the Indonesian shooting team.

Simply qualifying for this final round is already an unprecedented first for Indonesia in the Men's 10m Air Rifle event at the Asian Games.

"My coach told me this is already an excellent result. This is the very first time an Indonesian has reached the 10m Air Rifle final at the Asian Games. It doesn't matter that you haven't won a medal yet," Ghozi said.

Gold Medal Won By Sheng Lihao

The Men's 10m Air Rifle gold medal was ultimately claimed by Chinese shooter Sheng Lihao. The 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist recorded a final score of 254.2 points.

Silver medal went to India's Himanshu Dhillon with 252.4 points, while his fellow Indian competitor Rudrankksh Patil took home bronze with 230.9 points.

Competing alongside these world class athletes became an invaluable part of Ghozi's experience at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

"This is the biggest multi-sport event I have ever participated in. I'm truly happy just to make it to the final, competing against Olympic and World Cup champions. I got to meet them, speak with them, they all show mutual respect and support for one another," said the Yogyakarta-born shooter.

For Ghozi, this competition meant far more than just the numbers on the scoreboard. Standing on the same range alongside world and Olympic champions gave him first-hand experience of the competitive standard that he had previously only ever witnessed from afar.

Unique Pressure Of The Asian Games

The atmosphere of the Asian Games brought entirely new experiences for Ghozi. He acknowledged that the competitive pressure felt completely different to any other event he had joined before.

Shooting as a sport has its own distinct characteristics. Once athletes take their position on the range, full concentration must be maintained at all times, as every single shot can alter the final standings.

As a first time competitor at the Games, this experience was made even more memorable for Ghozi.

"The vibe at the Asian Games is nothing like other competitions. The atmosphere here is incredible, the nerves hit you much harder too, because you are going up against Olympic and World Cup level shooters. And on my very first Asian Games appearance, I made it straight to the final," he concluded.

A Historic Achievement Worth More Than A Medal

In competitive sports, medals are often seen as the simplest measure of an athlete's success. However, Ghozi's run at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games demonstrates that there are other achievements that hold no less significance.

Becoming the first Indonesian shooter to ever reach the Men's 10m Air Rifle final means Ghozi has opened a brand new chapter for this discipline at the Asian Games for Indonesia.

He did not stand on the podium this time. But he has reached a stage that no Indonesian athlete had ever previously achieved in this event.

This accomplishment will serve as valuable foundation for his future career. The experience of handling Asian Games pressure, competing against Olympic champions, and performing on the final stage will all be vital preparation for Ghozi in future international competitions.