India finish on top in ISSF Jr WC Cairo as Burman add final-day medal to dominant campaign

India finish on top in ISSF Jr WC Cairo as Burman add final-day medal to dominant campaign

India capped off a highly successful campaign at the ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Cairo by finishing on top of the medal tally, adding two more medals on the final day to take their overall haul to 16 five gold, six silver and five bronze. A silver from Hemant Burman in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions and a bronze from the trap mixed team of Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal ensured India ended the competition with both depth and consistency across disciplines, underlining the strength of its junior shooting programme.

The highlight of the final day came from 18-year-old Hemant Burman, who delivered a composed performance to secure silver in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event. Having qualified for the final in seventh place with a score of 578-24x, Burman entered the medal round as an outsider but steadily worked his way up the standings. Across the kneeling, prone and standing positions, he maintained control and consistency, finishing with a total of 351.7. In a discipline where the standing phase often determines outcomes, Burman’s ability to stay competitive under pressure proved decisive.

The gold medal was claimed by Kazakhstan’s Oleg Noskov, who set a new world junior record with a score of 355.6, while Uzbekistan’s Nikita Solokov secured bronze with 341.2.

India had strong representation in the final, with Vedant Nitin Waghmare and Rohit Kanyan also making the cut after impressive qualification scores of 581 and 580 respectively. However, both struggled to sustain momentum in the final, finishing seventh and sixth. Beyond the finalists, Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, Kushagra Singh Rajawat and Hithesh Srinivasan narrowly missed out on qualification, reflecting the competitive depth within the Indian squad.

Trap mixed team adds bronze despite late setback

India’s second medal on the concluding day came in the trap mixed team event, where Zuhair Khan and Addya Katyal secured bronze. The pair had qualified for the medal round with a score of 137 and were well placed in the early stages of the final. After the first two series, they were in contention for silver, but a difficult third series proved costly. Katyal missed four out of five targets, while Zuhair dropped one, allowing their rivals to move ahead and pushing the Indian pair into bronze position. They eventually finished with a score of 19.

Hungary’s Bence Doeboerhegyi and Anna Nyitrai clinched gold with a world junior record score of 32, while the neutral pairing of Ramir Nikolaev and Kseniia Tatarinova took silver with 25. While the bronze marked a strong finish, the performance also highlighted the fine margins in shotgun events, where a single series can alter medal positions.

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India’s dominance in Cairo was built over the course of the competition, with multiple standout performances across events.

One of the defining moments came in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, where Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan won gold with a junior world record score of 499.9. The pair had already topped qualification with 632.0, signalling their control over the event. In rifle events, Prachi Gaikwad produced one of the most dramatic performances of the tournament, winning gold in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions final with a score of 354.6. After qualifying sixth, she surged through the field and held her nerve in the closing shots to secure victory by a narrow margin.

The pistol contingent also delivered consistently. Vanshika Chaudhary and Sejal Kamble combined to secure a 1-2 finish in the women’s 10m air pistol, marking one of India’s strongest performances in the discipline. Vanshika’s gold and Sejal’s silver added to an already growing medal tally, while also reflecting India’s depth in women’s shooting. Naraen Pranav contributed with a bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle, ensuring India remained competitive across both genders and multiple formats.

What sets this campaign apart is not just the number of medals, but their distribution. India’s success spanned rifle, pistol and shotgun events, with multiple athletes reaching finals and podiums.

Even in events where medals were not secured, such as the women’s 50m rifle prone, Indian shooters remained competitive. Tejal Nathawat, Yugeshwari Bais, Anushka Thokur and Khwaish Sharma all participated but finished outside the podium places. Similarly, Sameer’s qualification for the final in the 25m rapid-fire pistol where he eventually finished seventh demonstrated India’s presence in high-intensity disciplines, even if it did not translate into medals on that occasion.

Finishing on top of the medal tally at a Junior World Cup is a significant achievement, but it also serves as a stepping stone. The focus now shifts to the ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany, scheduled for June widely regarded as the most important event in the junior shooting calendar. The Cairo campaign provides both momentum and clarity. Athletes have demonstrated the ability to perform under pressure, while the coaching staff gains insight into areas that require refinement, particularly in converting strong qualification performances into gold medals.

India’s performance in Cairo reflects a system that is producing not just individual winners but a steady pipeline of competitive shooters. The presence of multiple finalists across events indicates a broader base of talent, which is crucial for long-term success at the senior level. The transition from junior to senior competition remains the next challenge, but campaigns like this suggest that Indian shooting is well-positioned for sustained success.

As the team prepares for Suhl, the objective will be to build on this foundation maintaining consistency, refining execution, and continuing to compete at the highest level.

For now, Cairo stands as a statement of intent India’s next generation of shooters is not just participating, but leading.