India rules sovereignly! Shooters lead ISSF World Junior Championships medals in Germany

Indian shooters at the ISSF World Junior Championships in Germany. (Image credit: NRAI) NEW DELHI: India underlined its growing dominance in world shooting by topping the medal tally at the 2026 ISSF World Junior Championships in Suhl, Germany, ending a sensational campaign with 24 medals, including seven gold, eight silver and nine bronze.The Indian contingent finished comfortably ahead of the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) who secured 14 medals with six golds, while traditional powerhouse Italy placed third with 10 medals, also with six golds.The remarkable performance marked another milestone for Indian shooting, with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) celebrating the country’s success across shooting and pistol disciplines, individual, mixed and team events.

Young stars deliver via rifle and pistol

India’s campaign began in style with Sejal Kamble winning gold in the women’s 10m air pistol while Himanshi added a bronze. Sejal then joined Vanshika Choudhary and Navya Bishnoi to win the team gold, giving India an early lead in the championship.The medals continued to flow as Sameer won gold in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, Rohit Kanyan on the podium in the men’s 50m three position and Pritam Kendre emerged as the champion in the men’s 10m air rifle. Abhinav Deshwal later added another gold in the men’s 25m standard pistol while Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Abhinav Shaw sealed gold in the mixed event teams from air rifle at 10 m.India also collected several silver medals through Prachi Gaikwad, Shiva Narwal, Shaurya Dilip Bharne, Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur and several team events, highlighting the impressive depth of the junior team.“To break the medal tally at the World Championships in two consecutive editions is a phenomenal achievement,” said NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.“I am most pleased that these 24 medals did not come from just one or two individual stars. They were spread across shooting and pistol competitions, individual, mixed and team competitions. It proves that our structural programs at the grassroots level are working effectively,” he added.

A near-perfect campaign despite the missed opportunities

India’s final tally could have been even richer.Vanshika Choudhary suffered heartbreak in the women’s 10m air pistol final after she failed to fire her final shot in a bid for gold and a possible junior world record due to apparent confusion during the closing moments. The failed attempt denied India a rare clean sweep on the podium.The team also lost another medal opportunity when Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar was disqualified in the women’s 10m air rifle team event for failing to meet the ISSF clothing stiffness test.While India dominated the rifle and pistol competitions, the shotgun remained a problem. The contingent did not win a medal in the trap or skeet events, and no men’s shooter made it to the finals. Bhavya Tripathi and Rishan Guron qualified for the women’s final but finished eighth and seventh.