ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025 Day 3: Samrat Rana Creates History with Gold

Day 3 of the ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025 in Cairo, Egypt, marked an unprecedented level of success for the Indian contingent, led by the remarkable performance of young Samrat Rana. The 20-year-old shooter clinched a historic individual gold medal in the Men's 10m Air Pistol event, leading a spectacular four-medal haul on the day that improved India’s standing in the medal table.

This gold medal achievement was not just a win but a monumental milestone, positioning Rana as a breakthrough star and affirming the country’s rising talent in the pistol disciplines on the international stage. His flawless execution under pressure, coupled with the continued strong showing from both the men’s and women’s teams, ensured that India maintained the momentum established in the first two days of the championships. The big haul of two gold, one silver, and one bronze medals confirmed Day 3 as the most fruitful for the team yet.

Samrat Rana etched his name into Indian shooting history by becoming the first Indian shooter ever to win a senior individual World Championship gold medal in the Olympic discipline of Air Pistol. Competing in his first senior World Championships final, Rana exhibited exceptional composure and skill, finishing with a high-class winning score of 243.7.

In a thrilling conclusion, he managed to stay strong and edge out the tough challenge of China's Hu Kai by a wafer-thin margin of just 0.4 points to claim the top spot.

The individual triumph in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol was made even sweeter by the performance of his compatriot, Varun Tomar. He finished the final with a score of 221.7, secured the bronze medal, completing a stunning double podium finish for India in the discipline at the senior level.

The duo had dominated the qualification rounds as well, finishing first and second respectively with identical scores of 586, showcasing India's depth in this key Olympic event.

Indian Dominance Extends to Team Gold and Women's Silver at ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol

The individual success translated seamlessly into the team competitions, adding two more valuable medals to India's growing tally. The men’s team, consisting of individual medallists Samrat Rana and Varun Tomar alongside Sharvan Kumar, combined for a cumulative total of 1754. This score topped the field and secured a comfortable Gold medal in the Men's 10m Air Pistol Team event, underscoring the nation's overall dominance in this discipline.

In the Women's 10m Air Pistol Team event, India continued its run with the trio of two-time Olympian Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Suruchi Singh bagging a well-earned Silver medal with an aggregate score of 1740.

While both Bhaker and Singh successfully qualified for the individual final, they missed out on a podium spot, placing sixth and fourth respectively. Their high scores, however, ensured the team medal, finishing only behind China.

Edited by Sooryanarayanan Sesha