Vanshika Chaudhary and Chirag Sharma delivered a commanding performance to claim the 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Cairo, Egypt, on April 25, 2025. Their victory pushed India's gold medal count to five, keeping the nation firmly at the top of the overall standings with just one day of competition remaining.

Dominant Final Performance by the Indian Duo

The Indian pair shot a combined score of 484.3 in the final, comfortably outpacing the silver medallists — Aliaksandra Piatrova and Mikita Daubash of the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), who scored 467.6. The second Indian combination of Mohini Singh and Himanshu Rana secured the bronze medal with a tally of 407.4 in the four-team final, ensuring India swept three of the four available medals in the event.

In the qualification round held earlier on Saturday morning at the Olympic International City Shooting Range, Vanshika and Chirag topped the 14-team qualifier with a combined score of 582. Mohini and Himanshu also impressed, finishing third in qualifications with a score of 568.

Multiple Medals for Vanshika and Chirag

The mixed team gold was Vanshika Chaudhary's second gold medal of the tournament, having previously triumphed in the individual women's 10m air pistol event. For Chirag Sharma, this was his second medal at the Cairo Junior World Cup, adding gold to the bronze he won earlier in the junior men's air pistol competition.

This kind of double-medal performance by young Indian shooters underscores the depth of talent emerging from the country's junior shooting pipeline — a pipeline that has been systematically strengthened over the past decade through Sports Authority of India (SAI) programmes and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI)'s grassroots initiatives.

Trap Events: India Reaches Finals but Falls Short of Medals

The Trap men's and women's competitions also concluded on the same day. Zuhair Khan and Bhavya Tripathi each qualified sixth in their respective events. Zuhair shot 115 across five rounds, while Bhavya recorded 108.

In the junior women's trap final, Bhavya Tripathi finished eighth. The gold went to Italy's Martina Montani, who set a new junior world record with 26 hits out of 30. In the junior men's trap final, Zuhair Khan placed seventh, as France's Agez Thomas claimed gold with another junior world record score of 28.

India's Overall Medal Tally at Cairo Junior World Cup

India's total medal haul at the 2025 ISSF Junior World Cup in Cairo stands at an impressive 14 medals — five gold, five silver, and four bronze. The Indian contingent has consistently dominated the leaderboard throughout the event, reflecting the country's growing stature in international junior shooting competitions.

This performance is particularly significant given India's broader ambition to build a robust Olympic shooting bench. Several of these junior athletes are expected to graduate to senior international circuits, potentially representing India at future Olympic Games and World Championships. The ISSF Junior World Cup serves as a critical proving ground for identifying and nurturing such talent.

What to Expect on the Final Day

The concluding day of competition — Sunday, April 26, 2025 — will feature the 50m Rifle 3 Positions men's junior event and the Trap mixed team junior final. India will be looking to add to its already formidable medal count and consolidate its position at the top of the table as the tournament wraps up in Cairo.