New Delhi, Nov 11 (NationPress) Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar not only matched a world record but also secured his first individual medal at the world championship, clinching silver in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) final during the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Championships Rifle/Pistol 2025 at the Olympic Shooting range in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.

The two-time Olympian achieved a score of 466.9 in the 45-shot final, finishing just behind China’s reigning Olympic champion Liu Yukun, who scored 467.1. Additionally, the newly crowned air pistol world champion Samrat Rana and the Olympian and defending champion Esha Singh earned silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event after a 10-16 defeat to China’s Kai Hu and Qianxun Yao.

These accomplishments leave India in second place in the medal standings, boasting three golds, five silvers, and three bronzes, while China leads with eight golds and a total of 14 medals to date.

Aishwary equals world record, wins silver

Aishwary, a reigning two-time Asian champion, displayed remarkable skill throughout the day, scoring a perfect 200/200 in the Kneeling position during the qualification round, followed by another flawless 200 in the second Prone position.

He only dropped three points in the Standing position, finishing the qualification with a total of 597, topping the 66-strong field. This score also equaled the men’s 3P qualification world record previously shared by Liu and Linshu Du of China. Niraj Kumar, the second Indian participant, qualified in fifth place with a score of 592.

In the eight-man final, Aishwary had a shaky start, scoring an 8.6 on his sixth Kneeling shot, which set him back early on. However, he bounced back in the Prone position, achieving a decisive series of 53.3, 52.7, and 52.7, propelling him to second place, just 0.2 behind Liu.

Unfortunately, Niraj’s performance declined, dropping from fourth to sixth as the final Standing position approached. Despite making some ground, he ultimately finished a commendable fifth in his first world finals.

The Swede Madsen and Norwegian athlete Halvorsen were the first to be eliminated at the 40-shot mark, while the battle for the lead continued between Aishwary and Liu, with only a 0.2-point difference.

As they approached the final shot, Aishwary held a slight edge. However, Liu’s 10.1 required Aishwary to score 10.2 or higher to claim gold. Aishwary’s 9.8 meant Liu became the World Champion, with young French shooter Romain Aufrere taking the bronze.

Esha and Samrat outgunned by top Chinese pair

In the second final, the 10m air pistol mixed team event, India’s top duo of Esha and Samrat excelled in qualifications with a combined score of 586, each shooting 293. The second Indian pair, Suruchi and Shravan Kumar, ended in eighth place with a score of 579.

Esha and Samrat faced a tough challenge against China’s Kai Hu and Qianxun Yao, both world-ranked number one and two, who had performed exceptionally well in the individual events on Monday.

The match to 16 points extended over 13 rounds, with both pairs tied at nine points after nine rounds. Despite India managing to tie in the 13th round, China dominated the next three rounds, sealing the match.

Esha had previously won this event with Shiva Narwal at the last world championships, but had to surrender her title, while Samrat concluded his first world championship experience with two golds and one silver medal.