India strikes Gold and Bronze at International shooting sport worlds

India began the (International Shooting Sport Federation) ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol in Cairo on a commanding note, registering multiple podium finishes on day one. Ravinder Singh delivered the standout performance of the opening day by clinching gold in the men’s 50m pistol, underlining India’s growing strength in precision pistol events. His teammates Kamaljeet and Yogesh Kumar also posted competitive scores, helping India secure silver in the same category in the team event.

India also delivered strong results in the women’s 10m air rifle, where Olympian Elavenil Valarivan produced a composed and clinical performance to win bronze her first individual medal at a senior World Championship. After qualifying for the final in fifth position, Elavenil displayed remarkable consistency through intense rounds against some of the world’s best shooters, including Korean Olympic champion Ban Hyojin. Although the contest remained tight until the last stages, Elavenil sealed her podium finish with precision shooting in the final rounds. Ban clinched gold, while China’s Wang Zifei finished with silver. The Indian women’s trio of Elavenil, Meghana Sajjanar and Shreya Agrawal further strengthened India’s medal tally by winning bronze in the team event of the same category, marking an extremely successful day for the rifle squad as well.

This edition of the Championship is significant not just for medals, but also for rankings and competitive momentum, as more than 700 shooters from over 70 countries are participating in Cairo. Even though this championship does not offer direct Olympic quota berths, it is being viewed as a crucial test of form and pressure handling before the next Olympic cycle. Many federations, including India, are treating Cairo as one of the most important benchmark meets of the season. India’s shooters have come into this competition with strong form from recent World Cups and continental events, especially in rifle, where Elavenil has been steadily rebuilding top-tier international consistency through 2025.

Indian shooters in other categories also displayed encouraging performances in the opening rounds. In the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol, Anish, Sameer and Adarsh Singh posted respectable qualification scores as they remained in contention for progression towards the next stage. In the women’s 50m pistol category, Priyanka Patel finished sixth with a solid qualifying score, while in the men’s 10m air rifle event, Arjun Babuta stayed in the hunt for a potential final berth after registering a strong qualification result.

With a gold, a team silver, and two bronzes already in hand, the Indian contingent has made its intentions clear early in the championship. The squad expressed confidence that the successful opening day is only the start, and that more podium finishes can be expected as the remaining rifle and pistol events unfold in Cairo over the coming days.