India crowned the ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun 2025 in Cairo, Egypt, finishing at the summit of the overall medal tally with an impressive haul of 16 medals — five gold, six silver, and five bronze. On the final day held on Sunday, April 27, Hemant Burman clinched silver in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, while the pair of Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal secured bronze in the Trap Mixed Team event, capping off a dominant campaign for the Indian junior shooting contingent.

Hemant Burman Shines in 50m Rifle 3 Positions Final

Hemant Burman, the 18-year-old Indian marksman, delivered a composed performance in the final of the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, aggregating a score of 351.7 across all three positions to secure the silver medal. Burman had entered the final after qualifying in seventh place with a score of 578-24x, showing a remarkable ability to elevate his game under pressure.

Two other Indian shooters — Vedant Nitin Waghmare (qualification score: 581) and Rohit Kanyan (qualification score: 580) — also made it to the final. Rohit finished sixth with a score of 311.9, while Vedant placed seventh with 300.5.

The gold medal went to Oleg Noskov of Kazakhstan, who shattered the previous benchmark by setting a new world junior record of 355.6. Nikita Solokov of Uzbekistan took bronze with 341.2. Indian qualifiers Manvendra Singh Shekhawat (578-23x), Kushagra Singh Rajawat (576-24x), and Hithesh Srinivasan (574-26x) failed to break into the top eight and did not advance to the final.

Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal Secure Bronze in Trap Mixed Team

In the final event of the competition, Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal claimed the bronze medal in the Trap Mixed Team event with a final score of 19. The duo had qualified for the medal rounds with a combined score of 137, entering the final with strong momentum.

The Indian pair held a silver-medal position after the first two series but suffered a costly collapse in the third series. Addya missed four of her five shots, while Zuhair missed one, causing them to slip to the bronze-medal position. Despite the stumble, the pair held their nerve to secure a podium finish.

The gold medal in the Trap Mixed Team event was claimed by Bence Doeboerhegyi and Anna Nyitrai of Hungary, who set a stunning new world junior record of 32 points. The silver medal went to neutral athletes Ramir Nikolaev and Kseniia Tatarinova with a score of 25.

Women's 50m Rifle Prone — Indian Quartet Falls Short

In the 50m Rifle Prone Women event, India's challenge ended without a medal. Tejal Nathawat, Yugeshwari Bais, Anushka Thokur, and Khwaish Sharma all competed but were unable to mount a podium challenge, finishing outside the medal positions.

The result was a rare disappointment in an otherwise outstanding campaign, underscoring that even in a dominant overall performance, the competition at the junior world level remains fiercely contested.

India's Dominant Campaign at ISSF Junior World Cup 2025

India's final tally of 16 medals — five gold, six silver, and five bronze — placed the country firmly at the top of the overall medal table at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 in Cairo, Egypt. This performance is a testament to the depth and quality of India's junior shooting pipeline, which has been consistently producing world-class talent over the past several years.

India has been one of the most consistent performers at ISSF junior events in recent years, with the national shooting programme backed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) producing multiple world-ranked athletes annually. This Cairo campaign further cements India's reputation as a global powerhouse in shooting sports at the junior level.

Road Ahead: Eyes on Suhl, Germany

The Indian junior shooting contingent will now shift their focus entirely to the ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany, in June 2025. The Suhl championship is widely regarded as the definitive measure of junior shooting excellence globally, with far greater Olympic quota significance and global prestige than the World Cup circuit.

For athletes like Hemant Burman, Zuhair Khan, and Addya Katyal, the Cairo medals will provide vital momentum heading into Suhl. India's strong finish at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 signals that the country's next generation of shooting stars is ready to compete at the very highest levels of international competition.