Shooting World Cup: India Secures Third Place in Peru, Gathers Valuable Insights from South American Tour

New Delhi, April 22 (NationPress) The Indian shooting team secured third place in the rankings as the Peru International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup concluded, with Australia claiming the last gold medal in the mixed team trap event.

Two Indian teams, Prithviraj Tondaiman/Pragati Dubey and Lakshay Sheoran/Neeru, achieved eighth and twelfth positions, scoring 134 and 128 out of 150 targets, respectively, during the qualification rounds. China led the medal tally with four gold, three silver, and six bronze medals, while the USA followed with one silver and five bronze medals. India's final medal count included two gold, four silver, and a single bronze, earned by Saurabh Chaudhary in the men’s air pistol.

Earlier that day, Simranpreet Kaur Brar earned silver in the women’s 25m pistol, marking India's seventh medal and fourth silver in the competition.

India is set to take numerous positives from the double-legged South American World Cup tour, which kicked off the new international season. In the prior Argentina World Cup, India finished second to China with a total of four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.

“Many young and gifted shooters like Suruchi, Arya, and Bhavtegh participated in their first senior World Cups during this tour. The squad was predominantly young, and the experience of competing in unfamiliar conditions, adapting to new environments, and showcasing their skills for India will prove invaluable. The upcoming LA Olympics will present a similar challenge. Given the high level of competition, the squad performed excellently, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the entire team, including the dedicated coaches and support staff, for representing the nation with pride on the global platform,” expressed K. Sultan Singh, Secretary General of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

Indian shooters reached a total of 32 finals, including medal matches in mixed events, and returned with 15 medals, which included six gold. The 18-year-old Suruchi was the standout performer, bringing home three gold and one bronze, as stated by the NRAI.

Alongside the talented Chinese teenager, rifle shooter Wang Zifei, Suruchi emerged as a star of the two World Cup legs.

Arya Borse also shone as a World Cup debutant, making it to three finals and securing two silver medals in the mixed-team rifle events.

In addition to the newcomers, seasoned shooters Chain Singh and Simranpreet also earned their first individual World Cup medals. Paris Olympians Shriyanka Sadangi and Raiza Dhillon gained invaluable first-time experience competing in an individual World Cup final.

Other notable shooters, such as former world champion Rudrankksh Patil (one gold, two silver), Vijayveer Sidhu (gold in rapid-fire pistol in Argentina), Sift Kaur Samra (gold in 50m rifle 3 positions in Argentina), Arjun Babuta (silver in men’s air rifle in Peru), and Esha Singh (silver in women’s 25m pistol in Argentina), along with double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker (silver in women’s air pistol in Lima, marking her sixth individual World Cup medal), further solidified their status as world-class competitors and will gain immense confidence from this tour.

The most uplifting aspect of the tour for Indian shooting fans was the return of Saurabh Chaudhary, a former youth Olympic and Asian Games champion and past world record holder. He secured his fifth mixed team World Cup gold in Lima alongside new partner Suruchi, marking his seventh individual World Cup medal.

“It brings us great joy to witness the depth we have cultivated in the sport. Many accomplished international shooters were not part of this tour, yet we achieved such remarkable results. This demonstrates that Indian shooting is progressing positively,” concluded Sultan Singh.

India’s next international assignment will involve the shotgun squad only, as the Cyprus Shotgun World Cup is set to commence in the first week of next month in Nicosia.