The Argentine capital of Buenos Aires is set to host the year’s first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) stage, scheduled to begin on April 3, 2025.
A team of 35 Indian shooters will compete in all 15 medal events—12 individual and three mixed-team events. Paris Olympics double-medallist Manu Bhaker is the only shooter to qualify for two individual events: the 25m Pistol Women’s and the 10m Air Pistol Women’s.
Alongside multiple Olympians and Asian Games medallists like Sift Kaur Samra, Esha Singh, Aishwarya Pratap Tomar, and Elavenil Valarivan, one shooter is set to draw significant attention—Saurabh Chaudhary in the 10m Air Pistol Men’s event.
Once one of India’s brightest shooting prospects, especially leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, Chaudhary’s form declined after 2021. In Tokyo, he finished seventh in both his individual and mixed-team finals, falling short of expectations. However, he remains the youngest Indian shooter to win an Asian Games gold medal, having secured the top spot in the 10m Air Pistol event at Jakarta 2018. That victory also made him only the fifth Indian shooter to claim an Asian Games gold at that time.
Despite struggling in the Paris 2024 qualifiers, where he failed to earn an Olympic berth, Chaudhary has continued to receive praise. Manu, during the Paris qualifiers, described him as the most talented shooter of their generation. Following his Tokyo disappointment, however, he bounced back to win gold at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo in 2022, but inconsistency kept him out of the national team in several phases.
A former world No. 1 and Youth Olympic champion (Buenos Aires 2018), his trophy cabinet includes 12 ISSF World Cup medals, three of which are individual golds.
Chaudhary made an impressive comeback in January 2025, winning the national selection trials with a record score of 591. While a young crop of shooters, including Arya Borse, Sonam Maskar, and Ashi Chouksey, will be aiming for their maiden ISSF World Cup individual medals, Chaudhary will also be in the spotlight as he seeks to reclaim his place at the top.
Speaking exclusively to RevSportz, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Singh Deo said, “It’s wonderful to have Saurabh back in the team. He’s shooting fabulously, and we expect great achievements from him in the time ahead.”
Once a top contender in Tokyo, Chaudhary’s career took a downturn, but his strong start to 2025 suggests he is on the path to redemption. With a long season ahead and the Asian Games in Japan next year, shooting enthusiasts will hope to see him back at his best, potentially setting the stage for LA 28.