India Shines at ISSF World Cup Final: Suruchi Singh Takes Gold in Women's Air Pistol

Suruchi Singh's Stellar Performance

In Doha, talented shooter Suruchi Singh delivered an impressive performance, securing the gold medal in the women's 10m air pistol event. Her compatriot, Sainyam, followed closely behind, earning the silver medal as India made a strong statement on the first day of the ISSF World Cup Final.

Samrat Rana, the reigning world champion in the men's 10m air pistol, narrowly missed out on gold, ultimately finishing with a bronze medal. Varun Tomar, another Indian shooter, placed fourth after a promising start.

Suruchi's remarkable score of 245.1 in the final highlighted her skills, while Sainyam, the former junior world champion, scored 243.3, ensuring a gold-silver finish for India.

Reflecting on her victory, Suruchi stated, "After the second series, I focused on my performance rather than the score, and it paid off."

Double Olympic bronze medallist Manu Bhaker also reached the final but finished fifth with a score of 179.2.

Suruchi, who was ranked No.1 in the world in September-October after winning four consecutive World Cup gold medals earlier this year, showcased her form by finishing second in the qualification round with a total of 586.

Bhaker secured sixth place with 578, while Sainyam barely qualified for the final, finishing eighth with a score of 573. However, she excelled in the final, leading for a significant portion before yielding to Suruchi.

Suruchi, hailing from Jhajjar, received a prize of Euro 5,000 for her achievement, while Sainyam earned Euro 4,000.

Men's Air Pistol Bronze for Samrat

Karnal shooter Samrat, who recently claimed the world title in the 10m air pistol in Cairo, aimed for another stellar performance in Doha. However, a few poor shots in the final cost him a higher podium finish, allowing China's Hu Kai to take gold.

"I enjoy this range, and winning bronze in my first World Cup final is a significant achievement for me. I struggled in the last couple of shots but enjoyed the experience," Samrat remarked.

"I am gaining confidence competing against Olympic and World champions, which feels fantastic."

Hu Kai, who had previously been bested by Samrat in Cairo, clinched gold, while Germany's Christian Reitz, a veteran marksman and 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist, took silver.

Samrat scored 221.5 in the eight-shooter final, while Tomar, who won bronze at the Worlds, finished fourth with a total of 201.2.

In the qualification round, Samrat shot 584, placing him second, while Tomar was sixth with a score of 578.

Disappointing Results for Rifle Shooters

India's former world champion Rudrankksh Patil and Paris Olympic finalist Arjun Babuta fell short of medal contention in the men's 10m air rifle, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively.

Elavenil Valarivan also faced disappointment in the women's 10m air rifle, finishing ninth in the qualification round and missing the final.

Rudrankksh, the 2022 world champion, entered the final after placing fourth in qualification with a score of 631.9.

Babuta qualified third with a score of 633.3, while China's Sheng Lihao, a double Olympic gold medallist, led the field with 637.7.

In a competitive final, Rudrankksh's performance was marred by a single below-par score of 9.8, resulting in a total of 209.9.

Lindgren took gold and Euro 5,000 with a score of 253.0, while Lihao secured silver and Euro 4,000.

Elavenil, fresh from her World Championships bronze in Cairo, finished ninth in qualification with a score of 630.

Zorawar Sandhu, a bronze medallist in trap, placed ninth among 12 shooters after scoring 70/75 on the first day of competition. He will return for two more rounds before the six finalists are determined.