Riding on the highs of the 2024 Paris Olympics, India’s shooters entered 2025 with an uphill task: to match, or possibly surpass their previous performances.
While the task appeared daunting at the outset, as the year progressed, the Indian shooting contingent grew from strength to strength on the back of several strong finishes across major competitions and consistent medal runs across World Cups.
The presence of 15 Indian shooters (nine in pistol, five in rifle, and one in shotgun) at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final in Doha stood as a testament to their consistent excellence throughout the year.
India finished second behind China, securing 2 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze. The feat was remarkable, considering the World Cup Final features only the best performers of the season across the 12 individual Olympic events.
India also had a dominant run at the Asian Championship in Shymkent, where the shooters delivered a staggering performance, winning 50 gold, 26 silver, and 23 bronze medals.
Young guns making a splash
A new wave of young talent defined India’s shooting success this year. Suruchi Singh (10m Air Pistol), Simranpreet Kaur Brar (25m Sports Pistol), newly crowned World Champion Samrat Rana (10m Air Pistol), and 2023 Junior World Champion Sainyam (10m Air Pistol), all stepped up impressively.
Their rise also pushed the senior shooters, compelling them to raise their game and remain sharp.
Suruchi delivered some of the finest performances of 2025, winning three gold medals in four World Cups, followed by a gold on her debut at the 2025 World Cup Final in Doha. Her stellar run also propelled her to World No. 1 in women’s air pistol.
The 19-year-old capped her season by setting a new junior world record in the women’s 10m air pistol at the season finale, surpassing Manu Bhaker’s six-year-old mark.
In the same tournament, 21-year-old Simranpreet also equaled the Junior World Record to secure her first major senior international gold in the women’s 25m sports pistol. Her score of 41/50 matched the record of Paris Olympics champion Yang Ji-In of South Korea.
The year also witnessed some stellar performances from Anish Bhanwala, who added to India’s medal tally with the country’s first-ever individual World Championship medal in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.
Earlier this year, Samrat Rana produced a breakthrough performance to become the first Indian to win an individual air pistol gold at the ISSF World Championships, defeating China’s Hu Kai in a tense final.
For more on how you can win while enjoying your favourite sports, visit Khelraja – Online Sports Betting & Cricket Betting Apps.
Seniors shine in patches
Seasoned shooters Manu Bhaker, Elavenil Valarivan, and Rudrankksh Patil also showed glimpses of their class through the season, contributing valuable finishes.
Meanwhile, trap shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu’s historic bronze at the 2025 ISSF Shotgun World Championship in Athens was the icing on the cake.
At 48-years of age, Zoravar ended India’s 19-year wait for an individual trap medal, becoming one of the oldest shooters to win a World Championship medal in the discipline.
His feat was significant owing to the fact that it was was only India’s third-ever individual trap medal, following Karni Singh (1962) and Manavjit Singh Sandhu (2006). That Zoravar also earned the ISSF People’s Choice Award only added to his remarkable season.
In all, India’s 2025 season was one of the nation’s finest in recent history where multiple World Cup winners, World Championship medalists, and a new generation of shooters emerged with confidence.
Comments are closed.