New Delhi, April 11 (NationPress) Sainyam, who is a former junior world and Asian champion, achieved her finest result at an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol event. She scored 178.9 in the women's 10m air pistol final, which took place on the second-to-last day at the Las Gabias Shooting Range in Granada, Spain, securing a commendable fifth place on Saturday.

The reigning Asian Games champion Palak also reached the final, finishing in seventh place after her 14th shot out of 24, with a score of 137.9. The gold medal was claimed by China's Shen Yiyao, who scored 244.2.

Sainyam posted a score of 582 during the qualification round, landing her in third place among 83 competitors. Palak also made the top eight with a score of 577, finishing in seventh.

In the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event, Olympian Vijayveer Sidhu achieved the best finish for India, placing 23rd overall with a score of 576. Other Indian athletes included Ankur Goel in 29th place with 572, while Neeraj Kumar finished 40th with 565.

All three Indian competitors in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event in the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain, were unable to move past the qualification round. Surabhi Bharadwaj Rapole and Olympian Anjum Moudgil both recorded scores of 587, finishing in 18th and 19th places respectively. Ayushi Podder scored 585, placing 27th, while the final qualification spot was filled with a score of 589.

On Friday, Ankur Goel led the Indian men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) standings with a score of 289 after the first precision round. Olympian Vijayveer Sidhu scored 287, and Neeraj Kumar achieved 282. The trio is set to return on Saturday for the second rapid-fire qualification stage with hopes of making it to the finals.

Reigning Asian Games champion Palak will team up with Mukesh Nelavalli in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, the tournament's first contest, alongside Sainyam and Ujjwal Malik. On the second day of finals, India will be represented in the air rifle mixed team by Sonam Uttam Maskar and Gajanan Shahdev Khandagale, alongside Shruti and Arshdeep Singh.

According to the established selection policy, India has sent shooters ranked between 4 and 6 in the national rankings. The team is a strong contender with seasoned competitors, including Akhil Sheoran, Anjum Moudgil, and Mehuli Ghosh, who are all world championship medalists, as well as World Cup final winner Simranpreet Kaur Brar, world record holder Rhythm Sangwan, and last year’s Buenos Aires World Cup gold medalist Vijayveer Sidhu, adding further strength.

While some athletes have participated in continental competitions earlier this year, for many, including competitors from dominant nations like China, the Granada World Cup marks the commencement of the international shooting season. It’s noteworthy that they have sent a robust 22-member team, which includes three reigning Olympic champions.