New Delhi, Dec 6 (NationPress) In an extraordinary display of talent, Indian newcomers Suruchi Phogat, a teenager, and Sainyam achieved remarkable success by securing the gold and silver medals in the 10m air pistol women's event at the Lusail Shooting Complex in Doha. Their performances on the inaugural day of the season-concluding International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final (WCF) Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun on Saturday sent shockwaves through the competition.

Suruchi set a junior world record with a stunning score of 245.1 in the eight-woman final, finishing well ahead of her senior counterpart, who trailed by 1.8 points. This marks the first occasion that India has celebrated a double podium at the prestigious ISSF event, featuring the year’s elite shooters along with Olympic and World Championship medalists. Yao Qianxun of China clinched the bronze with 219.4.

Earlier in the qualification round, Suruchi secured the second position with 586 points, while Manu Bhaker, a double Olympic bronze medalist, qualified sixth with 578. Sainyam earned her place in the finals through world rankings, securing the eighth spot with a score of 573.

In the finals, Sainyam started strong, although Suruchi quickly caught up with a remarkable 10.9 on her opening shot. She also posted two additional scores above 10, leveling with Sainyam after trailing by 2.7 points after the 12th shot.

China’s world No. 3 Qian Wei was the first to exit the final, as renowned competitors like reigning Olympic champion Oh Yejin from Korea and former world champion Jiang Ranxin from China struggled to consistently hit the center of the target.

Sainyam's performance in the initial two five-shot series was strong enough to secure her the silver medal, but it was Suruchi who proved her dominance in the final stages, closing with scores of 10.6 and 10.2, effectively breaking the junior world record and collecting her sixth ISSF medal in 2025, with four of them being golds.

Manu, a two-time WCF gold medalist, ultimately finished in fifth place.

Post-match, a composed Suruchi remarked to ISSF, “After the second series, I told myself this is what I should be doing, and I should not be looking at the score, and it worked.”

Samrat also made headlines by winning a bronze medal in the men’s air pistol event, finishing with 221.5 points, bowing out at the 22nd shot mark of the 24-shot final.

Rana had opportunities to continue, but a stellar 10.9 on his 20th shot was followed by an 8.4 on the 21st, forcing him to settle for third place and marking his first WCF medal. Varun Tomar, who also competed, finished fourth with 201.2.

Gold went to Hu Kai of China with 243.0, while the silver was claimed by German legend Christian Reitz, trailing by just one point.

“I like this range, and winning bronze in the first-ever World Cup final is an achievement for me. I was struggling in the last 1-2 shots, but I enjoyed it and I am happy. I am gaining confidence in competing with Olympic and World champions, and that feels great,” Rana expressed to ISSF after the match.

In the day’s first two finals, China’s Wang Zifei and Sweden’s Victor Lindgren triumphed in the women’s and men’s 10m air rifle events, respectively. Elavenil Valarivan, India’s sole qualifier in the women’s air rifle, narrowly missed out on the final, finishing ninth with 630.8 points among the 12 shooters.

In the men’s air rifle, Arjun Babuta qualified third with a robust 633.3, marking his fifth consecutive appearance in a world and continental final since the Paris Olympics. Rudrankksh, another stalwart in India’s air rifle scene, came fourth with a steady 631.9. Both missed out on medals, with Patil finishing fourth and Arjun sixth.

By the end of the day, China secured two of the four finals while India and Sweden each took home one. With three medals, including one of each color, India sits second in the medal tally behind China, who leads with five medals.