Samrat Rana Wins 10m Air Pistol Gold at ISSF Worlds, Becomes First Indian Champion
Indian shooter Samrat Rana wins historic 10m air pistol gold, dedicating his world title to his father.
In a historic triumph at the ISSF World Championships 2025, 20-year-old Samrat Rana from Karnal, Haryana, clinched India’s first-ever senior individual gold medal in an Olympic pistol event by winning the Men’s 10m Air Pistol title on November 10. The young shooter edged out China’s undefeated six-time World Cup gold medallist Hu Kai with a composed final shot of 10.6, securing victory in his debut international competition. Rana’s journey from a makeshift backyard range in a rented house to the global podium exemplifies grassroots determination, as he credits his father, Ashok Rana—a lifelong shooting enthusiast—for building the one-lane facility using wooden boxes where their training began. “Whatever I achieve today is for him,” Rana declared, highlighting the father-son bond that fuelled his rise in a sport often reserved for those with access to elite infrastructure.
Rana’s composure under pressure proved decisive in the final, where he treated the high-stakes moment like routine practice at his Karnal academy. “When I was firing my last shot, I didn’t think about winning or who I was competing against... There was a calmness within me; I was not feeling any pressure,” he recounted. This mental fortitude, instilled by his mother, enabled him to focus solely on execution rather than outcomes. Competing professionally since 2018, Rana has transformed modest beginnings into a platform for inspiration; he now runs his own shooting academy, mentoring young aspirants with a simple mantra: “Focus. Don’t ever get distracted from your dreams, and keep working hard.” His gold medal not only marks a personal milestone but also elevates India’s standing in precision shooting, a discipline demanding costly equipment and years of rigorous training.
The victory in Cairo resonates deeply within India’s sporting ecosystem, where pistol events have historically lagged behind rifle and shotgun successes on the world stage. Rana’s feat arrives amid growing investment in Olympic disciplines, with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) expanding talent identification programmes in non-metro regions like Haryana. His path mirrors that of other self-made athletes who overcame resource constraints through familial support and unrelenting discipline. By defeating a dominant Chinese rival, Rana has signalled India’s emerging prowess in air pistol, a core Olympic event, and joined the ranks of shooters like Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary in pushing boundaries for the tricolour.
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With his eyes now fixed on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Rana harbours ambitions beyond participation: “My dream is not only to take part; I am going to bring India a gold.” As he returns to Karnal, his academy buzzes with renewed energy, training the next generation under the same ethos of perseverance that propelled him to the top. Rana’s story underscores a broader narrative in Indian sports—where passion, parental sacrifice, and mental resilience can defy systemic barriers, inspiring countless youths to aim for the bullseye in pursuit of national glory.
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