India dominates opening day of ISSF Junior World Cup 2025, clean sweep in women’s 50m Rifle Prone

India’s junior shooters start ISSF World Cup 2025 in style, sweeping the women’s 50m Rifle Prone medals and adding silver and bronze in the men’s event. Young stars Thokur, Anshika, Agrawal, Shekhawat, and Kanyan led the host nation’s medal haul.

Hyderabad: India’s young shooters made a strong start to their ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun New Delhi 2025 campaign, clinching all three medals in the women’s 50m Rifle Prone event and adding a silver and bronze in the men’s category, as the first medals of the competition were decided on Thursday, here at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range

Anushka Thokur underlined her class in the women’s final, shooting series of 104.0, 103.6, 103.8, 102.2, 105.0, and 103.0 for a total of 621.6, to secure the gold medal. Teammate Anshika followed with 619.2 (103.2, 103.4, 101.9, 101.6, 104.7, 104.4) to take silver, while Aadhya Agrawal completed the clean sweep for India with 615.9 (102.6, 102.8, 101.7, 104.8, 101.8, 102.2) for bronze.

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In the men’s event, Individual Neutral Athlete Kamil Nuriakhmetov claimed gold with 618.9 (103.3, 103.5, 103.3, 102.6, 103.0, 103.2). India’s Deependra Singh Shekhawat put up a strong fight to take silver with 617.9 (102.9, 101.7, 103.4, 102.2, 104.6, 103.1), while Rohit Kanyan added a bronze to the host nation’s tally, scoring 616.3 (101.7, 102.6, 100.9, 102.6, 105.2, 103.3).

The action continues on Friday (September 26, 2025) with the men’s and women’s 10m Air Pistol finals, scheduled for 11:45 AM and 12:45 PM respectively. Qualifications for both events begin earlier at 9:15 AM.

A total of 23 shooters from 8 countries will compete in the men’s 10m Air Pistol, with India’s challenge led by reigning junior Asian champion Kapil Bainsla, Asian championship bronze medalist Jonathan Gavin Antony, and their teammate Vijay Kumar Tomar, with whom they secured the team silver at the 16th Asian Championship.

In the women’s section, reigning Junior Asian Champion Rashmika Sahgal will lead India’s charge alongside Shymkent team gold medalists Vanshika Chaudhary and Mohini Singh in a lineup of 22 athletes from 8 countries.