Sonam Maskar, Himanshu Dhillon win bronze in 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team at ISSF WC Hangzhou
Synopsis
Sonam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon — the latter in his very first senior ISSF World Cup final — held their nerve to beat two Chinese pairs and claim bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team at Hangzhou. The result takes India to four medals at this World Cup, with the Asian Games and World Championships still on the horizon.
Key Takeaways
Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon won bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou on 28 July .
The pair combined for 441.2 points in the final ( 220.6 each ), finishing behind China 1 and China 2 .
The second Indian pair, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Rakesh Mane , finished fourth with 378.8 points .
The bronze is Himanshu Dhillon's maiden senior ISSF World Cup podium; he is 20 years old .
India's total at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou now stands at 4 medals — 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze .
Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon claimed the bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou on 28 July, adding a fourth podium to India's campaign at the tournament. The pair's composed final-round display capped a strong day for Indian shooting, with two Indian teams reaching the medal round.
Qualification and Final Scores
Both Indian pairs advanced comfortably through the qualification round. Sonam posted 317.2 and Himanshu 317.4, combining for an aggregate of 634.6 points to lead the Indian contingent into the final. The second Indian pair — Elavenil Valarivan (316.8) and Parth Rakesh Mane (317.4) — qualified right behind them with 634.2 points.
In the final, Sonam and Himanshu combined for 441.2 points — 220.6 each — to finish behind China 1 and China 2 and secure the bronze. Elavenil and Parth narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth with a final score of 378.8 (Elavenil: 190.5; Parth: 188.3).
What the Medallists Said
Sonam reflected on the significance of the win in the context of the season ahead. 'It was a tough competition, and the overall experience was very good,' she said. 'Winning a medal is always important because it gives us confidence for the assignments ahead. Experience matters more than anything, and this performance will motivate us as we prepare for the Asian Games and the World Championships later this season.'
For Himanshu, the final marked his first-ever senior ISSF World Cup final appearance, making the bronze all the more meaningful. 'It was a great experience competing in my first senior World Cup final,' he said. 'I believed in myself, trusted my coach's guidance and relied on my strengths. I've competed in many junior finals, but winning my first senior World Cup medal makes this achievement very special.'
Athlete Backgrounds and Form
Sonam enters this season with strong recent form, having won silver medals at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo and the ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi in 2024, along with a fifth-place finish at the ISSF World Cup Granada. Those results have established her as one of India's most consistent rifle shooters on the senior circuit.
20-year-old Himanshu is building rapidly on a decorated junior career. He claimed gold in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in New Delhi in 2025 before adding another gold at the Asian Shooting Championships. The Hangzhou bronze is his maiden senior ISSF World Cup podium.
India's Overall Tally at Hangzhou
The bronze lifts India's total at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou to four medals — 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze. With the Asian Games and the World Championships still to come this season, the squad's depth in the rifle discipline will be a source of confidence for the national set-up heading into those marquee events.
Point of View
Not just individual brilliance. Himanshu Dhillon's debut senior final performance alongside an experienced Sonam Maskar is the kind of transition that national coaches plan for but rarely execute this cleanly. The more pointed question is whether this Hangzhou momentum translates when the pressure multiplies at the Asian Games, where the medal table carries geopolitical weight and China's home-circuit advantage will be absent. India's four-medal tally here is encouraging, but the composition — one gold — suggests the top step of the podium remains the harder ask.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team at ISSF World Cup Hangzhou?
Indian shooters Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon won the bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou on 28 July. They combined for 441.2 points in the final, finishing behind China 1 and China 2.
What was India's final score in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event?
Sonam and Himanshu combined for 441.2 points in the final, contributing 220.6 each. Their qualification aggregate was 634.6 points.
How did the second Indian pair, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane, finish?
Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Rakesh Mane finished fourth in the final with a combined score of 378.8 points — Elavenil contributing 190.5 and Parth 188.3 — narrowly missing the podium.
What is Himanshu Dhillon's shooting background?
Himanshu Dhillon is a 20-year-old shooter who previously won gold in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in New Delhi in 2025 and another gold at the Asian Shooting Championships. The Hangzhou bronze is his first senior ISSF World Cup medal.
What is India's overall medal tally at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou 2025?
India's total medal tally at the ISSF World Cup Hangzhou stands at four medals — 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze — following Sonam and Himanshu's bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event.
