India Shines at ISSF World Cup with Strong Performances in Shooting Events

Highlights from the ISSF World Cup

On Thursday, India's participation at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Granada, Spain, was marked by impressive performances. Divya TS secured a commendable fourth place in the women's 25m pistol event, while Gajanan Khandagale made a notable fifth-place finish in his debut in the men's 10m air rifle.

Women's 25m Pistol Event

Divya scored 28 points in her third World Cup final, narrowly missing out on a medal. Gajanan concluded his competition with a score of 187.5 in the men's air rifle final. Rhythm Sangwan also participated in the women's 25m pistol, finishing in seventh place, as reported in a press release.

The gold medal in this event went to China's Xiao Jiaruixuan, a bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, after a tense shoot-off against her fellow countrywoman, Kong Jieru. Both competitors had tied with 39 hits after the initial rounds. Camille Jedrzejewski, a bronze medallist from the Paris Olympics, secured third place with 34 hits, edging out Divya.

In the qualifying rounds, Rhythm performed strongly, achieving a score of 586 to finish fifth, while Divya followed closely with 585, securing the seventh spot ahead of Poland's Agata Nowak. Simranpreet Kaur Brar, the World Cup Finals champion, finished in 30th place with a score of 575.

Men's 10m Air Rifle Event

Gajanan Khandagale had an outstanding debut, qualifying for the final in second place with a score of 634.3, just 0.2 points behind Sweden's Victor Lindgren, the silver medallist from Paris. China's Sheng Lihao, the Olympic and world champion, won gold with a score of 633.6, qualifying in fourth place.

Arshdeep Singh finished 21st with a score of 629.5, while Dhanush Srikanth placed 23rd with 629.2. Gajanan started the final strong but exited after the 18th shot, finishing just 0.1 points behind China's Ma Sihan, who took fourth. Aleksa Rakonjac from Serbia won silver, while Lindgren secured bronze, marking his first World Cup medal despite being a former world champion.

Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions

All three Indian shooters advanced through the elimination rounds of the women's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event. Olympian Anjum Moudgil led the way with a score of 592, followed by Ayushi Podder with 587 and Surabhi Bharadwaj Rapole with 582. A total of 58 out of 75 shooters progressed to the main qualification round. The women's 3P final is set to take place on Friday.