India reigns supreme! Shooters top Germany’s ISSF Junior World Championship medal tally |: More sports news:
NEW DELHI: India underlined their growing dominance in world shooting by finishing atop the medal standings at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany, capping off a grueling campaign with 24 medals, including seven gold, eight silver and nine bronze.The Indian contingent finished comfortably ahead of the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), bagging 14 medals with six golds, while traditional powerhouse Italy placed third with 10 medals, also with six golds.The spectacular performance marked another milestone for shooting in India, with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) celebrating the country’s success across rifle and pistol disciplines, individual, mixed and team events.
Young stars deliver rifles and pistols
India’s campaign began in style as Sejal Kamble clinched gold in the women’s 10m air pistol, while Himanshi added a bronze. Sejal then joined Vanshika Choudhary and Navya Bishnoi to win the team gold, giving India an early lead in the championship.The medals continued to flow as Sameer scored gold in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, Rohit Kanyan topped the podium in the men’s 50m rifle three positions, and Pritam Kendre emerged as the champion in the men’s 10m air rifle. Later Abhinav Deshwal added another gold in the men’s 25m standard pistol, while Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Abhinav Shaw sealed gold in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.India also collected several silver medals through Prachi Gaikwad, Shiva Narwal, Shaurya Dilip Bharne, Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur and several team events, highlighting the impressive depth of the junior squad.“Topping the medal tally at a World Championship for two consecutive editions is a remarkable achievement,” said NRAI president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.“What makes me happy the most is that these 24 medals are not just from one or two individual stars. They are spread in rifle and pistol, individual, mixed and team events. This proves that our structural grassroots programs are working effectively,” he added.
Near-perfect campaign despite missed opportunities
India’s final tally could be richer.Vanshika Choudhary suffered heartbreak in the women’s 10m air pistol final after failing to fire her final shot while challenging for gold and a possible junior world record due to apparent confusion during the closing moments. The failed attempt denied India a rare clean sweep of the podium.The team also lost another medal opportunity when Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar was disqualified from the women’s 10m air rifle team event for failing the ISSF apparel stiffness test.While India dominates the rifle and pistol competitions, the shotgun remains a concern. The contingent failed to win a medal in the trap or skeet events, with no men’s shooter reaching the finals. Bhavya Tripathi and Rishan Guron qualified for the women’s finals but finished eighth and seventh.
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