New Delhi, Nov 7 (NationPress) A total of 15 Indian athletes will compete in five events for four coveted gold medals, evenly split between Olympic and non-Olympic categories, on the inaugural day of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle/Pistol in Cairo, Egypt, this Saturday.

The finals for the women’s and men’s 10m air rifle are expected to draw significant attention, given their status as popular Olympic events. Additionally, the non-Olympic 50m pistol event will also award two gold medals on the first day.

In total, 720 competitors from 71 countries will be part of the event at Cairo’s Olympic shooting range, spanning over 10 days of intense competition, making it a mainstay in the international shooting calendar.

The Shooting World Championship is often seen as the highlight of the sport, featuring a broader range of elite shooters than the Olympics, positioning Cairo 2025 as a true clash of champions, with nearly all current world and Olympic titleholders expected to participate. India has assembled a team of 40 shooters to compete across 17 events, including all 10 Olympic categories.

Day One Highlights

The two 10m Air Rifle finals for men and women are set to be the day's main attractions. For India, Rudrankksh Patil, the 10th ranked shooter globally, returns to the site of his greatest triumph, having won the world championship in Cairo in 2022. Joining him is Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in the Paris Olympics and also performed admirably in Cairo, along with rookie Vishal Singh.

Both Rudrankksh and Arjun have displayed impressive form internationally this year, with Rudrankksh securing an individual gold in Buenos Aires and Arjun earning silver in Lima, in addition to multiple mixed team medals at various levels.

The competition will be fierce, especially with the presence of notable competitors and legends in the 110-strong field, including Sheng Lihao of China, the reigning world record holder and Olympic champion, who is eager for his first world championship title after finishing with bronze at the same venue three years ago.

The challenge will be equally tough for India's women’s air rifle team, consisting of Elavenil Valarivan, a two-time Olympian, Meghana Sajjanar, and Shreya Agrawal, in a larger qualification field of 121 participants.

Both Ela and Meghana have excelled in international contests this year, securing individual world cup medals, but they face formidable opposition, including Olympic champion Ban Hyojin of Korea and two impressive Chinese teenagers, Wang Zifei and Peng Xinlu, among others. The trio must perform at their peak during the 60-shot qualification round to contend for medals.

The first group of the Indian squad arrived well in advance, granting them familiarity with the range. “Some are making their sixth trip here,” noted Deepali Deshpande, the team coach.

“We arrived early, settled in, and trained diligently over the past days, as well as during our camp last month. The shooters have also had a refreshing break from competition and are eager to get back in action. We are optimistic about a strong performance, and the weather has been favorable so far,” she stated, as reported by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

In other medal events on the first day, Kamaljeet, Ravinder Singh, and Yogesh Kumar will compete in the men's 50m pistol, while Parisha, Priyanka Patel, and Sakshi Suryavanshi will strive for gold in the corresponding women's event.

The day will also feature Olympian Anish Bhanwala, Adarsh Singh, and Sameer, another rookie, navigating the first qualification round of the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) event.

The Cairo World Championships will also serve as a final opportunity for athletes seeking to qualify for the lucrative ISSF World Cup Finals in Doha, scheduled for early December. Nine Indian shooters have already secured their spots, and a strong performance at the worlds could increase that number significantly.

India’s International Shooting Achievements

India's shooting teams have enjoyed a remarkable year, garnering numerous medals at both the senior and junior levels, and aim to maintain this momentum in the concluding high-stakes tournaments in Cairo and Doha.

While the juniors excelled in both ISSF World Cups this year, the seniors also achieved impressive results, achieving major breakthroughs.

Teenager Suruchi was a standout star in the Rifle/Pistol category, securing three gold medals in women’s 10m Air Pistol during her first three ISSF World Cups, making her the only Indian ranked number one globally entering the Cairo Worlds.

Esha Singh's remarkable gold in the same event in Ningbo, China, marked a significant milestone, being her first individual World Cup gold as a talented shooter from Hyderabad.

Other notable squad members with noteworthy performances this year include Meghana Sajjanar, who achieved her first individual World Cup medal in Ningbo.

In total, India secured second place, three third-place finishes, and one fifth-place finish in the four senior ISSF World Cups for Rifle and Pistol, while leading the medal tally at the 16th Asian Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

In Cairo, India topped the standings in both ISSF World Cups held in the past two years and finished second overall at the World Championships in 2022.