ISSF World Cup Munich 2025: Two finals on Day 1 as India's 22-member squad eyes glory
Synopsis
India's 22-member shooting squad — blending world champions, Olympians, and four senior debutants — opens its Munich campaign on Tuesday with two finals on Day 1. With China's Hu Kai, who swept all four World Cups last year, headlining the pistol field and Germany's Maximilian Dallinger anchoring the rifle draw, the opening day sets up as a genuine global showdown.
Key Takeaways
The ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich opens on Tuesday, 27 May 2025 with 696 athletes from 80 countries .
Men's 10m Air Pistol final is scheduled for 17:30 IST ; Men's 10m Air Rifle final at 22:00 IST .
India fields a 22-member squad plus 13 athletes competing for ranking points.
World Champion Samrat Rana leads the Air Pistol challenge; Olympian Arjun Babuta spearheads the Air Rifle bid.
Four senior debutants — Suraj Sharma , Sakshi Padekar , Ajendra Singh Chauhan , and Udhayveer Sidhu — feature in the squad.
China's Hu Kai (pistol) and Germany's Maximilian Dallinger (rifle) headline the opposition.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich, Germany gets underway on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, with two medal finals — the men's 10m Air Pistol and men's 10m Air Rifle — headlining the opening day of competition at the iconic OlympiaschießAnlage. A total of 696 athletes from 80 countries, including a host of Olympic and world champions, have gathered at the German capital for one of the sport's most prestigious annual fixtures.
India's Squad: Experience Meets Youth
India arrives in Munich with a 22-member squad that blends seasoned campaigners with fresh faces. Among the debutants at the senior level are Suraj Sharma, Sakshi Padekar, Ajendra Singh Chauhan, and Udhayveer Sidhu — the last of whom is making his senior World Cup debut in an Olympic event. An additional 13 athletes will compete in Munich solely for ranking points.
10m Air Pistol: Samrat Rana Leads the Charge
World Champion Samrat Rana headlines India's challenge in the 10m Air Pistol event, flanked by Sharvan Kumar and debutant Ajendra Singh Chauhan. The Indian trio faces formidable opposition, led by China's Hu Kai, who swept gold at all four World Cups in 2024 and claimed the World Cup Final title, while also finishing runner-up behind Samrat at the World Championships. Other top contenders include 19-year-old Bu Shuaihang of China — gold medallist in Granada last month — Christian Reitz of Germany, Paris Olympics medallists Federico Nilo Maldini and Paolo Monna of Italy, Paris Olympic medallist Yusuf Dikec of Turkey, and 2016 Olympics silver medallist Felipe Almeida Wu of Brazil. A total of 153 athletes are entered in the event.
Samrat enters the competition in decent form, having won bronze at the Asian Championships in New Delhi — his only major outing this season. Sharvan Kumar, returning to a World Cup after a three-year gap, will aim to improve on his fourth-place finish at the Asian Championships. For ranking points, 16-year-old Jonathan Gavin Antony and Harsh Swami will also take the field. The qualification round begins at 12:30 IST (9 AM local time), with the final scheduled for 17:30 IST (2 PM local time).
10m Air Rifle: Arjun Babuta Spearheads India's Bid
Olympian Arjun Babuta, who opened his 2025 season with a gold at the Asian Championships, leads India's 10m Air Rifle contingent. He is joined by Parth Rakesh Mane, a former Junior World champion, and Shahu Tushar Mane. Rudrankksh Patil and Himanshu Dhillon will compete for ranking points.
The competition field is stacked with global elite, headlined by China's Sheng Lihao — a perennial frontrunner — and Germany's World Champion Maximilian Dallinger. Other leading names include Ma Sihan (China), Istavan Peni Marton (Hungary), Danilo Dennis Sollazzo of Italy who holds the finals world record, Jiri Privratsky (Czechia), Islam Satpayev (Kazakhstan), Jon-Hermann Hegg (Norway), Victor Lindgren (Sweden), and veterans Petar Gorsa (Croatia) and Serhii Kulish (Ukraine). Air Rifle qualification begins at 17:00 IST (1:30 PM local time), with the final at 22:00 IST (6:30 PM local time).
Other Events on Opening Day
Beyond the two finals, Tuesday's schedule also includes the 25m Pistol Women's Precision stage and the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women's elimination round, ensuring a full day of competitive action at the Munich range. The Munich leg remains one of the most watched stops on the ISSF circuit, given its history of producing world-record performances and its proximity to the Olympic selection calendar.
Point of View
A World Cup Final title) makes him the benchmark, and Samrat Rana, despite his World Championship silver, has had limited competitive exposure this season. The debutant count of four is a calculated gamble: useful for long-term pipeline building, but risky at an event where China and Germany field near-complete Olympic rosters. The real watch is Arjun Babuta in the rifle — his Asian Championships gold suggests form, but Sheng Lihao has been near-unbeatable in the format. If India medals in both finals, it would be a statement about the depth of the programme; one medal would be a solid result; zero would raise questions about peaking cycles ahead of the next Olympic qualification window.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2025 in Munich begin?
The Munich leg of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol gets underway on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, with the men's 10m Air Pistol and 10m Air Rifle finals both scheduled on opening day. The event features 696 athletes from 80 countries at the OlympiaschießAnlage in Munich, Germany.
Who is leading India's challenge at the Munich ISSF World Cup?
World Champion Samrat Rana leads India's 10m Air Pistol challenge, while Olympian Arjun Babuta spearheads the 10m Air Rifle bid. India has fielded a 22-member squad alongside 13 additional athletes competing for ranking points.
What time are the finals on Day 1 of the Munich ISSF World Cup?
The 10m Air Pistol final is scheduled for 17:30 IST (2 PM local time), and the 10m Air Rifle final is set for 22:00 IST (6:30 PM local time). Qualification rounds begin earlier in the day at 12:30 IST and 17:00 IST respectively.
Who are India's key rivals in the 10m Air Pistol at Munich?
China's Hu Kai — who won gold at all four World Cups in 2024 — is the primary rival, alongside compatriot Bu Shuaihang, German legend Christian Reitz, Paris Olympics medallists Federico Nilo Maldini and Paolo Monna of Italy, and Paris Olympic medallist Yusuf Dikec of Turkey.
Are there any debutants in India's Munich shooting squad?
Yes, four athletes are making their senior-level debuts — Suraj Sharma, Sakshi Padekar, Ajendra Singh Chauhan, and Udhayveer Sidhu, with Sidhu specifically debuting in a senior World Cup in an Olympic event. Their inclusion reflects India's focus on building a pipeline beyond its established champions.
