Harshita Tomar, Shital Verma Take Women's Skiff Bronze
Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma won the bronze medal in the Women's Skiff sailing event at the Asian Games, bettering India's earlier showing in the class.

Why in News
On 2 October 2026 the Prime Minister congratulated Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma on winning the bronze medal in the Women's Skiff event at the Asian Games, which bettered India's earlier performance in the event.
India finished on the podium in sailing at the Asian Games. Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma took the bronze medal in the Women's Skiff event, and the Prime Minister noted that the two sailors had not only reached the podium but had also improved on India's earlier showing in the class.
The two sailors and their event
A skiff is a light, fast sailing boat crewed by two, so a skiff medal is shared by a pair rather than won by one sailor. Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma formed that crew for India. Congratulating them, the Prime Minister said their determination and their consistency through the series had carried the country onto the podium, and he wished the two well for the events still ahead of them. The message was shared in a post on X by the Prime Minister's Office.
Better than before
The point the Prime Minister underlined was that the result was an improvement on India's previous performance in the event, which makes it more than one bronze among many. Sailing medals at a continental Games are won over a series of races rather than a single final, so consistency across the fleet races is what decides the standings, and that is the quality the message picked out.
At a glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Games | Asian Games |
| Sport | Sailing |
| Event | Women's Skiff |
| Medal | Bronze |
| Sailors | Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma |
| Date of the news | 2 October 2026 |
Where the medal sits in the day
The bronze came on a day that also brought India two archery medals, a gold in the women's recurve team event and a silver in the recurve mixed team event. A candidate revising the day therefore has three medals of three colours in three different events to keep separate, and the commonest error is to attach the sailing names to one of the archery results.
Why aspirants should note it
- The event is the women's skiff and the sport is sailing, not rowing or canoeing, which are the usual wrong options
- The medal is a bronze, so it was a third-place finish in the event standings
- A skiff is crewed by two sailors, which is why this medal carries two names
- The result bettered India's previous showing in the event, the detail the Prime Minister singled out
Important Facts
| Games | Asian Games |
|---|---|
| Sport | Sailing |
| Event | Women's Skiff |
| Medal | Bronze |
| Sailors | Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma |
| Noted by the Prime Minister | Determination and consistency, and a podium finish |
| Added significance | Bettered India's previous performance in the event |
| Date of the news | 2 October 2026 |
Exam Point of View
Keep the pair together, Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma, with the event, the women's skiff, the sport, sailing, and the colour of the medal, bronze. The added detail worth carrying is that the finish improved on India's previous performance in the event. Remember that a skiff crew is two sailors, which is why the medal has two names, and do not let the sailing pair get mixed up with the archery medallists of the same day.
Practice Questions
Who won the bronze medal for India in the Women's Skiff event at the Asian Games?
- A.Ankita Bhakat and Kirti
- B.Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma
- C.Kumkum Anil Mohod and Shital Verma
- D.Harshita Tomar and Kirti
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma
Explanation
The correct answer is Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma. The two sailed together in the women's skiff event at the Asian Games and finished third for the bronze medal, and the Prime Minister congratulated both by name while noting that they had bettered India's previous performance in the event. Option A is wrong because Ankita Bhakat and Kirti are archers who were part of the Indian trio that won the women's recurve team gold on the same day. Option C is wrong because it replaces Harshita Tomar with Kumkum Anil Mohod, an archer who won both a team gold and a mixed team silver that day. Option D is wrong because it keeps one sailor and brings in an archer in place of the other. The day's medals are easiest to hold apart by sport, so attach the two sailing names to the skiff and the archery names to the recurve events.
The skiff event, in which Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma won bronze at the Asian Games, belongs to which sport?
- A.Rowing
- B.Canoeing
- C.Sailing
- D.Kayaking
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Sailing
Explanation
The correct answer is sailing. A skiff is a light and fast sailing boat driven by the wind in its sails and handled by a crew of two, so every skiff class event belongs to sailing. Option A, rowing, is wrong because a rowing boat is moved by oars worked against the water and its events are named by the number of rowers, such as the single sculls or the coxless pair. Option B, canoeing, is wrong because a canoe is paddled with a single-bladed paddle by an athlete who kneels, and its events are named with the letter C. Option D, kayaking, is wrong for a similar reason, since a kayaker sits and uses a double-bladed paddle in events marked with the letter K. For revision, remember that the skiff belongs to sailing and that the Indian pair in it finished with the bronze medal.
Which point about the Indian women's skiff result did the Prime Minister particularly highlight?
- A.That it was India's first sailing medal at any Games
- B.That the pair bettered India's previous performance in the event
- C.That the pair won the gold medal in the event
- D.That the pair set a new world record in the event
Show answer
Correct answer: B. That the pair bettered India's previous performance in the event
Explanation
The correct answer is that the pair bettered India's previous performance in the event. In congratulating Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma, the Prime Minister said that with determination and consistency they had taken India onto the podium and had also improved on the earlier showing, which is the detail that gives this bronze its significance. Option A is wrong because the message does not describe the result as India's first sailing medal at any Games, and claiming a first where none is stated is a common trap. Option C is wrong because the medal won in this event was the bronze; India's gold of the same day came in the women's recurve team archery event. Option D is wrong because no record of any kind was mentioned, and sailing standings are decided by points across a series of races rather than by a recorded time. Read such congratulatory items closely for exactly which claim is being made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the women's skiff bronze for India at the Asian Games?
Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma. The Prime Minister congratulated the pair on 2 October 2026 and said they had taken India onto the podium and bettered the previous performance.
In which sport is the skiff event contested?
Sailing. A skiff is a light, fast sailing boat crewed by two, which is why the Indian bronze in the women's skiff is credited to a pair of sailors.
What made this bronze medal more than an ordinary podium finish?
The Prime Minister pointed out that the pair had bettered India's previous performance in the event, so the result marked progress in the class and not only a medal.
Sources
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2318112 (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
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