Indian Shooter Tomar Matches World Record, Claims Silver at ISSF World Championships

Indian shooter Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar etched his name in history on November 11, 2025, by equalling the men's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) qualification world record and clinching his maiden individual silver medal at the ISSF World Championships Rifle/Pistol 2025, held at the Olympic Shooting Range. The 24-year-old two-time Olympian, already a reigning and two-time Asian champion, tallied 597-40x in the qualification round—matching the mark jointly held by China's Liu Yukun and compatriot Linshu Du—before delivering a composed 466.9 in the 45-shot final to finish a razor-thin 0.2 points behind gold medallist Liu Yukun (467.1), the Paris 2024 Olympic champion. Teammate Niraj Kumar, qualifying fifth with 592, secured a creditable fifth place with 432.6 in the final, marking his debut appearance in a Worlds medal round. This silver marks Aishwary's first individual Worlds medal and second overall for India in the event, following the men's team gold at Baku 2023.

Aishwary's path to the podium was a masterclass in precision and resilience, starting with flawless 200/200 scores in both the kneeling and prone stages of qualification, where he dropped just three points in standing to top the 66-shooter field. The final, however, tested his mettle early with an uncharacteristic 8.6 on his sixth kneeling shot, briefly dropping him in the standings. He roared back in his favoured prone series, firing 53.3, 52.7, and 52.7 to surge to second, trailing Liu by a mere 0.2. Eliminations began at the 40-shot mark, ousting Sweden's Jesper Nelin Madsen and Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg, while the lead ping-ponged between the Indian and Chinese duo. Heading into the decider, Aishwary held a 0.1 edge, but Liu's 10.1 forced a response; Aishwary's 9.8 sealed silver, with France's Romain Aufrere taking bronze. Reflecting post-match, Aishwary admitted his mind was locked on gold, saying, "I was thinking I want to be world champion, world champion, world champion. No other thoughts."

In a double delight for India, newly crowned 10m air pistol world champion Samrat Rana and defending mixed team champion Esha Singh added another silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, topping qualification with a combined 586-26x before falling 10-16 to China's world No. 1 pair Kai Hu and Qianxun Yao in the gold medal match. The duo, who previously triumphed at the 2022 Junior Worlds in Cairo, matched China 9-9 after nine rounds but conceded the next three, tying the 13th in vain. The second Indian pair, Suruchi Singh and Shravan Kumar, finished eighth with 579. For Esha, this marked the forfeiture of her title won with Shiva Narwal at the previous Worlds, while Rana capped a stellar debut with two golds and a silver. South Korea claimed bronze over Iran.

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These hauls propelled India to second in the medal tally with three golds, five silvers, and three bronzes (11 total), trailing China's dominant eight golds and 14 medals overall. The championships, serving as a crucial Olympic quota qualifier for Los Angeles 2028, highlight India's shooting renaissance since the 2016 Rio breakthrough, bolstered by targeted training at facilities like the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. Aishwary's feat, building on his Paris 2024 team bronze, underscores the depth in rifle disciplines, where India now eyes more Paris redemption narratives.

As the Cairo event continues through November 24, these medals not only boost Olympic Paris points but also signal India's intent to challenge China's supremacy, with emerging talents like Niraj and Suruchi poised for breakthroughs. Aishwary's near-miss, decided by a heartbreaking 0.2, exemplifies the sport's unforgiving margins, yet his record-equalling qualification reaffirms his status as a generational talent. With the national anthem echoing for silvers, Indian shooting's golden era shows no signs of slowing, inspiring a new wave of aspirants in a discipline that has yielded 17 Olympic medals since Tokyo 2021.

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