Indian Shooting Stars Shine: Eight Qualify for ISSF World Cup Final Glory in Doha
Double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker leads a stellar Indian contingent in five events, capping a medal-laden 2025 season with eyes on global supremacy.
India's shooting prowess reached new heights as eight elite marksmen, spearheaded by double Olympic sensation Manu Bhaker, clinched coveted spots in the prestigious ISSF World Cup Final set for Doha, Qatar, from December 4 to 9. This season-closing extravaganza crowns the top performer in each of the 12 Olympic individual disciplines, and Bhaker stands alone as the sole Indian double-qualifier, securing berths in both women's 10m air pistol and women's 25m pistol.
With representation locked in five of the 12 events, India's squad is primed for a medal assault. Rising star Suruchi Singh, the 17-year-old phenom who swept three consecutive golds in women's 10m air pistol across Buenos Aires, Lima, and Munich, not only punched her ticket to Doha but rocketed to world No. 1 in the category. Fellow Olympian Esha Singh joined her in the air pistol fray, sealing her qualification with a triumphant gold at the season's finale in Ningbo, China.
The men's 10m air rifle category boasts a dynamic duo: former world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil earned his place with a golden flourish in Buenos Aires, while Olympian Arjun Babuta clinched silver in Lima to confirm his elite status. In women's 50m rifle three positions, reigning Asian champion and world-record holder Sift Kaur Samra locked in her spot via a dominant Buenos Aires victory. Vijayveer Sidhu, another Tokyo Olympian, stormed into men's 25m rapid-fire pistol with a gold at the same Argentine leg.
Also Read: Teacher's Chilling Confession After Mutilated Schoolgirl's Body Found Stuffed in Sack
Completing the octet is Simranpreet Kaur Brar, who snagged women's 25m pistol entry through a silver in Lima—paving the way after China's Sun Yujie had already claimed the gold quota in Buenos Aires.
The ISSF sweetened the pot by announcing lucrative prize purses: €5,000 for gold, €4,000 for silver, and €2,000 for bronze, adding extra firepower to the competitors' ambitions. Doors remain ajar for more Indian entries via upcoming showdowns—the ISSF World Championship Shotgun in Athens, Greece (October), and the Rifle/Pistol edition in Cairo, Egypt (November)—where podium finishes could swell the delegation further.
This haul crowns a banner 2025 for Indian shooting, arguably their finest World Cup campaign yet. Across the four Rifle/Pistol stages in Buenos Aires, Lima, Munich, and Ningbo—plus shotgun stops in Nicosia and Lonato—India amassed a glittering 22-medal trove: 9 golds, 6 silvers, and 7 bronzes, propelling them to a proud second-place finish overall. As Doha beckons, these sharpshooters embody a nation on the rise, blending precision, poise, and unyielding drive.
Also Read: Deadly Forest Clash: Two Women Maoists Gunned Down in Gadchiroli Encounter
