Indian shooters concluded their campaign at the ISSF World Cup in Munich on a high note, securing a total of four medals and finishing third in the overall medal tally. This strong performance marked a significant improvement, doubling India's medal count compared to earlier stages of the competition. The final standings saw India behind only China and Norway, demonstrating the nation's growing prowess in the sport.
The highlight of India's campaign was the gold medal won by Arjun Babuta and Arya Borse in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. The duo displayed exceptional skill and teamwork, defeating China's Wang Zifei and Sheng Lihao with a dominant 17-7 scoreline in the final. This victory was particularly impressive considering that Sheng Lihao is the reigning men's 10m air rifle individual champion and a gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Borse and Babuta's journey to gold included a strong showing in the qualification round, where they scored 635.2, narrowly missing the top spot by just 0.7 points behind the Chinese team, who set a qualification world record score of 635.9. This gold medal marks Arya Borse's third medal at an ISSF World Cup in the 10m air rifle mixed team event this year, having previously won silver medals in Buenos Aires and Lima with Rudrankksh Patil.
In addition to the mixed team gold, Suruchi Singh secured a gold medal in the women's 10m air pistol event. Her victory added another top podium finish for India, showcasing the country's strength in both rifle and pistol events.
Adding to the medal haul, Sift Kaur Samra won a bronze medal in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions. Samra, who had previously set a world record in the same event at the 2022 Asian Games, shot a score of 453.1 in the medal round. Elavenil Valarivan also contributed to India's success by securing a bronze medal in the women's 10m air rifle event.
While several Indian shooters performed well, some narrowly missed out on podium finishes. Elavenil Valarivan, paired with Kiran Jadhav, finished sixth in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Manu Bhaker, partnered with Aditya Malra, also placed sixth in the 10m air pistol mixed team qualifiers. Bhaker, a double Olympic medalist, was unable to secure individual medals in the 10m air pistol and 25m events during the tournament.
India's overall performance at the ISSF World Cup in Munich reflects a blend of emerging talents and experienced shooters. The two gold and two bronze medals secured by the team demonstrate the country's growing strength in shooting sports.
The next stage of the ISSF World Cup 2025 for rifle and pistol events will be held in Ningbo, China, in September.