Saurabh Strikes Gold, Sakshi Equals Record at KSS Memorial Shooting Championship

India's top shooters once again displayed their class and composure as Railways shooter Saurabh Chaudhary and Maharashtra’s Sakshi Sunil Padekar clinched impressive gold medals at the 24th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship on Thursday.

The prestigious competition, being conducted simultaneously at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi and the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal, witnessed several high-quality performances from experienced names and emerging talents alike.

In the men’s 10m Air Pistol ISSF event , Saurabh Chaudhary produced a composed and clinical performance in the final to secure the gold medal with a score of 242.8 . Known for his ability to stay calm under pressure, the former Asian Games champion once again proved why he remains one of India’s most dependable shooters.

Uttar Pradesh’s Gaurav gave a tough fight and settled for silver with 240.7 , while Delhi shooter Hardik Bansal claimed bronze after scoring 219.3 .

The qualification round was equally competitive. Haryana’s Kamaljeet Choudhary topped the standings with 585-24x , narrowly ahead of Saurabh, who qualified second with 584-25x . Gaurav secured third place with 582-20x .

In the women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, Maharashtra shooter Sakshi Sunil Padekar emerged victorious after a gripping final, scoring 357.7 to take home the gold medal. Her performance became even more special as she had earlier equalled the KSS qualification record with an outstanding 590-34x effort.

Experienced Olympian Anjum Moudgil of Punjab finished close behind with 357.2 to secure silver, while Maharashtra’s Aakriti Dahiya took bronze with 346.3 .

The junior events also produced exciting performances. Uttar Pradesh’s Manya Mittal won the junior women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions title, while Rajasthan’s Abhishek Saini clinched gold in the junior men’s 10m Air Pistol category after an intense final.

Rajasthan continued its strong showing in the youth section as Devendra Farswal secured victory in the youth men’s 10m Air Pistol event.

The championship once again highlighted the remarkable depth of Indian shooting, with young talents and established stars delivering impressive performances across categories.