ISSF Junior World Championship 2026: Pritam Kendre wins gold as India reaches 12 medals
Synopsis
India's junior shooters are turning the ISSF World Championship in Suhl into a statement of depth. Pritam Kendre's 10m Air Rifle gold headlined a four-medal day that pushed India's tally to 12 — spread across rifle and pistol, individual and team — cementing a lead at the top of the standings that looks increasingly difficult to challenge.
Key Takeaways
Pritam Kendre won gold in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany .
India added four medals on 22 June , bringing the overall tally to 12 medals: 5 Gold, 1 Silver, 6 Bronze .
Anjali Mahendra Bhagwat , Parisha Gupta , and Nithila Ivy Darling Praveen Christopher won bronze in the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team event.
Abhinav Choudhary , Raj Chandra , and Jatin claimed bronze in the 25m Pistol Men Junior Team event.
Anvii Rathod secured bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Women Junior event.
India leads the medal standings, with earlier golds from Sameer (25m Rapid Fire Pistol) and Rohit Kanyan (50m Rifle 3 Positions), and silver from Prachi Gaikwad (score: 354.7 ).
Pritam Kendre clinched the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany, delivering a composed and outstanding performance to hand India its fifth gold of the tournament. With four medals added on 22 June, India's overall tally climbed to 12 medals — 5 Gold, 1 Silver, and 6 Bronze — keeping the contingent firmly at the top of the medal standings.
India's Latest Medal Haul
Alongside Kendre's gold, India secured two bronze medals in team pistol events. In the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team event, the trio of Anjali Mahendra Bhagwat, Parisha Gupta, and Nithila Ivy Darling Praveen Christopher combined effectively to finish on the podium. The 25m Pistol Men Junior Team bronze was claimed by Abhinav Choudhary, Raj Chandra, and Jatin, who produced a disciplined team effort.
A fourth medal from the session came via Anvii Rathod, who earned a bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Women Junior event with a composed finish — adding further depth to India's campaign across both individual and team disciplines.
Earlier Highlights Driving India's Lead
India's medal charge had been building steadily before these latest additions. Sameer won gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior event, finishing with 28 hits in the final. Rohit Kanyan then delivered a standout performance to clinch gold in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior event, further widening India's lead at the top of the standings.
Prachi Gaikwad added a silver medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women Junior event, finishing runner-up with a score of 354.7.
India's Dominance at the Championship
India's 12-medal tally reflects consistency across multiple disciplines — a sign of depth in the country's junior shooting pipeline. The contingent has performed across both individual and team formats, in rifle and pistol categories, underscoring a broad base rather than reliance on a handful of specialists. This comes amid sustained investment in grassroots shooting programmes following India's strong showing at senior-level international competitions in recent years.
What's Next
With competition still ongoing in Suhl, India will look to consolidate and potentially extend its lead at the top of the medal table. Further events remain, and the contingent's depth across categories suggests more podium opportunities ahead at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026.
Point of View
Individual and team — India's haul at Suhl is not a flash of individual brilliance but a structural signal. The junior pipeline is producing specialists in multiple formats simultaneously, which is precisely what senior-level consistency requires. The more telling question is whether the support infrastructure — coaching, competition exposure, transition pathways — can absorb this volume of talent without the attrition that has historically thinned India's shooting ranks between the junior and senior circuits.
NationPress
22 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medals has India won at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026?
India has won 12 medals in total — 5 Gold, 1 Silver, and 6 Bronze — as of 22 June 2026, placing the contingent at the top of the medal standings at the championship in Suhl, Germany.
Who is Pritam Kendre and what did he win?
Pritam Kendre is an Indian junior shooter who won the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany. His gold was India's fifth of the championship.
Which Indian athletes won medals in the team pistol events?
In the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team event, Anjali Mahendra Bhagwat, Parisha Gupta, and Nithila Ivy Darling Praveen Christopher won bronze. In the 25m Pistol Men Junior Team event, Abhinav Choudhary, Raj Chandra, and Jatin also claimed bronze.
What were India's other gold medals at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026?
Sameer won gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior event with 28 hits, and Rohit Kanyan claimed gold in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior event. Prachi Gaikwad added a silver in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women Junior event with a score of 354.7.
Where is the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 being held?
The ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 is being held in Suhl, Germany. India is currently leading the overall medal standings at the event.
