India tops Junior Shooting with Mukesh gold

India concluded the ISSF Junior World Cup on a high note, with Mukesh Nelavalli clinching gold in the men’s 25m pistol and Tejaswani Singh taking silver in the women’s event, as the host nation topped the medals table. The final day of competition showcased India’s dominance across both Olympic and non-Olympic categories.

Mukesh, the reigning junior world champion in the non-Olympic 25m pistol event, delivered a stellar performance. After posting a precision stage score of 289 on Tuesday, he fired an exceptional 296 in the rapid-fire round, finishing with a total of 585 points to secure the top podium spot. Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) Aleksandr Kovalev, who had earlier won the 25m rapid-fire pistol gold, settled for silver with 577 points, while Sahil Choudhary rounded off India’s medal tally with a bronze at 573.

Tejaswani Singh, who had previously won gold at the Junior World Cup in Suhl earlier this year, continued her fine form in the women’s 25m pistol. She scored 30 in the final, narrowly missing out on gold, which went to AIN’s Aleksandra Tikhonova, who tallied 33. Italy’s Alessandra Fait claimed bronze with 28 points. Other Indian finalists included Naamya Kapoor, who finished fourth with 21, and Riya Shirish Thatte, fifth at 16.

India dominated the overall medal standings in Olympic events, amassing 19 medals: six gold, eight silver, and five bronze. AIN shooters followed with ten medals (four gold, two silver, four bronze), while Italy secured third place with five medals (two gold, two silver, one bronze). In non-Olympic events, India added further glory with two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals across 50m rifle prone (men and women) and 25m pistol men junior individual competitions.

The junior trap mixed team final provided thrilling action, as the Czech duo Tereza Zaviskova and Tomas Nantl edged out compatriots Lea Kucerova and Kamil Bednar 39–38. Meanwhile, Spain’s European junior champions Irene Del Rey Ruiz and Isaac Hernandez triumphed 7–6 over Italy’s Sofia Gori and Luca Gerri in a shoot-off for the bronze after a 40–40 tie.

Across seven days of competition, eight nations reached the podium, with five India, AIN, Italy, Croatia, and Czechia winning gold. India’s strong showing confirmed its status as a rising powerhouse in junior shooting on the global stage.