Niveditha Nair Shines: Individual Bronze and Team Silver at ISSF World Championships
Niveditha Veloor Nair wins individual bronze and team silver in women's 25m standard pistol at the ISSF World Championships 2026 in Doha.
Indian shooter Niveditha Veloor Nair has made a mark at the ISSF World Championship 2026 in Doha, Qatar, securing an individual bronze medal in the women's 25m standard pistol event. The Tamil Nadu native delivered a powerful performance, finishing third with a score of 567-13x.
Individual Standings: Facing Olympic Champions
The competition was elite, as Niveditha faced off against Olympic medallists. China's Xiao Jiaruixuan took the top spot with a score of 569-10x, while Hungary's Veronika Major claimed silver with 568-13x. Both Xiao and Major are renowned individual Olympic medallists in the 25m pistol discipline, making Niveditha's podium finish an impressive feat.
Other Indian competitors in the event also performed strongly. Manvi Jain finished eighth with a score of 560-10x, and Simranpreet Kaur Brar took tenth place with 555-10x.
Team Success and World Record
India's success continued in the team event for the women's 25m standard pistol. The trio of Niveditha Nair, Manvi Jain, and Simranpreet Kaur Brar combined for a total score of 1682-33x, earning India the silver medal.
The gold medal was claimed by China, who set a new world record with a staggering score of 1698-43x. Hungary rounded out the podium with the bronze medal.
Men's Event: A Near Miss
While the women's team excelled, the Indian men's campaign in the 25m standard pistol event ended without a medal. Harsh Gupta came closest, finishing fifth with a score of 573-13x. He was followed by Udit Joshi in 18th place (562-13x) and Jatin in 28th place (559-5x).
In the team standings, India finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium, behind Latvia, the Republic of Korea, and Ukraine.
India's Overall Tally in Doha
The medals won on Sunday brought India's total medal count at the Doha championships to seven. The tally consists of one gold, five silver, and one bronze.
Key Highlights of India's Campaign:
- Men's 50m Pistol Team: India's sole gold medal of the tournament.
- Ravinder Singh: Individual silver in the men's 50m pistol.
- Women's 10m Air Rifle Team: Silver won by Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Shambhavi Kshirsagar.
- Women's 10m Air Pistol Team: Silver secured by Manu Bhaker, Suruchi Singh, and Sainyam.
- Jaypal Malviya: Individual silver in the men's 10m air pistol, which also earned India its first shooting quota place for the LA 2028 Olympics.