Indian shooters delivered an impressive showing at the ongoing ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, with standout performances in both skeet and pistol events.
In women’s skeet, Paris Olympian Raiza Dhillon stayed in the hunt for a finals berth, scoring rounds of 24, 23, and 24 for a total of 71 on day one of qualification. She ended the day in fourth place, just behind Czech shooter Tereza Milkova, who edged her out on countback. Britain dominated the leaderboard with Madeleine Russel and Phoebe Bodley-Scott tied at the top with scores of 72. Among other Indian contenders, Yashasvi Rathore and Vanshika Tiwari both shot 66 to sit in 15th and 16th spots, while Mohika Sisodiya posted 57.
In the men’s skeet, junior national champion Ishaan Singh Libra led the Indian challenge with a tally of 69 after three rounds, placing him 22nd. Harmehar Lally and Zorawar Bedi followed closely, ranked 27th and 31st with scores of 68 and 67 respectively.
India’s biggest moment came in the junior women’s 10m air pistol final, where Kanak from Haryana clinched India’s first gold of the competition. She shot 239.0 to outgun Moldova’s Anna Dulce, a two-time Olympian and reigning European champion, by a margin of 1.7 points. Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yen-Ching secured the bronze.
Kanak, a silver medalist at last year’s Junior World Championship in Lima, showcased her composure in the final stages, delivering high-10 shots under pressure. She had qualified for the final in fourth place with a score of 572, just behind compatriot Prachi, who qualified fifth with 571. Though Prachi began strongly and was in the top three early on, a poor 15th shot derailed her momentum, and Kanak surged ahead with a clinical 10.5.
“I was a little bit nervous in the beginning, but I am happy I was able to close out well,” Kanak said post-match.
In the men’s 10m air pistol final, 15-year-old Chirag Sharma narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth with a score of 197.6 after the 20th shot. He had qualified in seventh with 574, displaying grit through the final but fell short in the closing stages.
Other Indian marksmen in the event included Shubham Bisla (572), Anshul (567), Daksh Chaudhary (567), and Pushpender Singh (560), finishing outside the top eight.
India’s juniors continue to impress, setting a strong tone for the rest of the competition.