Golden Shot: India Clinches Men's 50m Pistol Team Gold at ISSF World Championships
Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Amanpreet Singh secure gold for India at the ISSF World Championships in Doha.
India has asserted its dominance on the global shooting stage as the trio of Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Amanpreet Singh secured the team gold medal in the men's 50m pistol event at the ISSF World Championships in Doha, Qatar. The Indian shooters displayed exceptional precision and nerves of steel to outclass their international rivals on Tuesday.
A Masterclass in Precision: The Winning Scores
The Indian team climbed to the top of the podium with a formidable combined score of 1,659-24x. The victory was fueled by consistent performances across the board, with Ravinder Singh emerging as the standout performer of the group.
Ravinder Singh led the charge with a top score of 559-11x. His series of shots reflected his steady hand, recording scores of 96, 93, 95, 93, 89, and 93.
Saurabh Chaudhary provided vital support to the team, finishing with a score of 551-7x. His series scores were 93, 90, 94, 92, 91, and 91.
Amanpreet Singh rounded off the golden trio with a score of 549-6x, contributing series scores of 89, 94, 94, 94, 90, and 88.
Individual Glory for Ravinder Singh
Beyond the team success, Ravinder Singh also made his mark in the individual category. In a nail-biting finish, Ravinder claimed the individual silver medal with his score of 559-11x. He missed out on the gold by a razor-thin margin of just two points, as Anton Aristarkhov of the Authorised Neutral Athletes (AIN) took the top spot with 561-9x. Romania's Luca Joldea completed the individual podium, securing the bronze with 558-5x.
The Global Competition: China and South Korea
The battle for the remaining medals in the team event was equally intense. China secured the silver medal with a combined total of 1,648-26x. The Chinese effort was led by Zhang Bingchen (555-12x), followed by Lyu Junyi (549-7x) and Feng Linlang (544-7x).
South Korea settled for the bronze medal, with the trio of Hong Suhyeon, Choe Boram, and So Seung Seob finishing with a total of 1,643-26x, trailing the Chinese team by five points.
The Road to LA 2028
This victory comes at a critical juncture for Indian shooting. The event in Doha serves as the first and most significant qualification event for the LA 2028 Olympics. With 36 Olympic quota places available—three for each of the 12 individual Olympic events—the stakes are incredibly high.
Since the recent Asian Games did not offer quota places for shooting, the ISSF World Championships represent India's first major opportunity to secure spots for the Los Angeles Games. According to a press release from the NRAI, each nation can win one quota per event, meaning up to 12 spots could potentially be secured by India during this championship.