Sakshi Padekar finishes 7th on ISSF World Cup debut in Munich
Synopsis
A 22-year-old from Maharashtra qualified third with 635.1 — ahead of the Olympic champion — then lost a shoot-off by two-tenths of a point on her senior World Cup debut. Sakshi Padekar's seventh-place finish in Munich signals a serious new contender in Indian air rifle, even as gold went to an 18-year-old Serbian also making her senior debut.
Key Takeaways
Sakshi Padekar , 22, finished 7th in the 10m Air Rifle Women's final at the ISSF World Cup in Munich on her senior debut.
She qualified 3rd with a score of 635.1 , behind World No.
1 Wang Zifei and Olympic champion Hyojin Ban .
Gold went to Serbia's Andelija Stevanovic ( 252.3 ); silver to Japan's Nobata Misaki ( 252.0 ); bronze to Wang Zifei ( 231.1 ).
Padekar lost a shoot-off to France's Oceanne Mueller by 0.2 points ( 10.5 vs 10.7 ), finishing with 145.2 .
Olympian Anish Bhanwala sits 18th after Stage 1 of the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol with 290-10x , still in contention for the final.
Three finals are scheduled for Day Four in Munich, the penultimate day of competition.
Sakshi Sunil Padekar delivered a composed debut performance at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich, Germany, finishing seventh in the 10m Air Rifle Women's final on Day Three at the Olympiaschießanlage. The 22-year-old from Maharashtra qualified third overall with a strong score of 635.1, behind only World No. 1 Wang Zifei of China and Paris Olympics champion Hyojin Ban of South Korea.
Final Result and Medal Standings
The gold went to Andelija Stevanovic of Serbia — herself a senior World Cup debutante, aged 18 — who clinched the top spot with a total of 252.3 in a final decided on the last shot. Japan's Nobata Misaki claimed silver with 252.0, also her first senior World Cup medal. Wang Zifei took bronze with 231.1, while Olympic champion Ban finished fourth.
Sakshi's Final Breakdown
Padekar opened with a 10.5, then recovered from a 9.7 and 9.8 in her second and third shots with a 10.8 and 10.7, ending the first series at 51.5 in sixth place. Her second series of 52.1 — comprising scores of 10.6, 10.4, 10.6, 10.0, and 10.5 — kept her in sixth. She briefly moved ahead of France's Oceanne Mueller by 0.4 points, but Mueller's 10.9 on the 14th shot forced a shoot-off. In the decider, Padekar hit 10.5 against Mueller's 10.7, finishing seventh with a final score of 145.2.
Other Indian Performances
Elavenil Valarivan finished 19th with 632.1, while Arya Borse placed 63rd with 627.6 in a field of 146 shooters — where the top 12 all scored 633.0 or above, underlining the event's exceptional competitive depth. Vidarsa K. Vinod (630.6) and Tilottama Sen (630.1), competing for ranking points, finished 27th and 32nd respectively.
Rapid Fire Pistol: Bhanwala Leads Indian Charge
Olympian Anish Bhanwala ended Stage 1 of the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol with a score of 290-10x in 18th place, keeping his top-eight qualification hopes alive. Debutants Suraj Sharma (284-11x) and Udhayveer Sidhu (288-14x) will need to improve significantly to break into the finals. Three finals — in 10m Air Pistol Women, 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men, and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol — are scheduled for Day Four, the penultimate day of competition in Munich.
Point of View
And the fact that a 22-year-old from Maharashtra was in that position at all is the more important data point. India's air rifle pipeline looks deep: Valarivan, Borse, Padekar, and Sen all competed in a 146-strong field where 633.0 was the minimum to crack the top 12. The question now is whether the national programme can convert this depth into consistent podium finishes before the next Olympic cycle peaks.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Sakshi Padekar perform at the ISSF World Cup Munich 2025?
Sakshi Padekar finished seventh in the 10m Air Rifle Women's final on her senior World Cup debut, after qualifying third with a score of 635.1. She lost a shoot-off to France's Oceanne Mueller by two-tenths of a point, ending with a final score of 145.2.
Who won gold in the 10m Air Rifle Women's final in Munich?
Serbia's Andelija Stevanovic, 18, won gold with a total score of 252.3 in a final decided on the last shot. It was also her senior World Cup debut. Japan's Nobata Misaki took silver (252.0) and China's Wang Zifei won bronze (231.1).
How did other Indian shooters fare at the Munich World Cup?
Elavenil Valarivan finished 19th with 632.1 and Arya Borse placed 63rd with 627.6 in the 10m Air Rifle Women's qualification. Vidarsa K. Vinod (630.6) and Tilottama Sen (630.1) finished 27th and 32nd respectively for ranking points.
What is Anish Bhanwala's status at the Munich World Cup?
Olympian Anish Bhanwala finished Stage 1 of the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol in 18th place with a score of 290-10x, keeping his hopes of qualifying for the final alive. The final is scheduled on Day Four, the penultimate day of competition.
What events are scheduled on Day Four of the ISSF World Cup Munich?
Three finals are scheduled on Day Four: 10m Air Pistol Women, 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men, and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol. It is the penultimate day of competition at the Olympiaschießanlage in Munich.
