Niraj Kumar Wins 50m Rifle 3 Positions Bronze, Secures India's Second LA28 Olympic Quota

Niraj Kumar delivered a significant performance at the ISSF World Championship 2026 in Doha, winning bronze in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event and securing India's second quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The Indian shooter finished third in the final with a score of 346.5 on Wednesday, November 11, adding another medal to India's campaign at the championship and securing the country's first rifle quota for LA28.

Individual Neutral Athlete Dmitrii Pimenov claimed the gold medal with 362.8, setting a junior world record in the process. Slovakia's Patrik Jany took silver, while Niraj completed the podium.

The result marked an important milestone in Niraj's career, as he secured his first individual medal at the ISSF World Championship. It was also his second medal in Doha, following India's bronze in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions team event a day earlier.

Niraj entered the medal round with considerable momentum after topping the qualification standings with an impressive 591-29x. His performance across the qualification stage placed him at the top of the field and established him as one of the leading contenders for the podium.

India also had another representative in the final, with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar progressing after the qualification round. The final presented a different challenge, with the shooters competing under pressure as the medal positions took shape. Niraj remained in contention for the silver medal during the closing stages, but a 9.4 in the final phase affected his position.

He eventually finished with 346.5 to secure bronze, behind Pimenov and Jany. Although Niraj could not convert his qualification advantage into a world title, his performance across the two stages demonstrated his ability to compete at the highest level of the discipline.

Aishwary finishes fifth in the final

India's second finalist, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, finished fifth with a score of 323.7. Having secured a place in the eight-shooter final, Aishwary added another strong result for the Indian rifle contingent. However, he was unable to challenge for the podium as the final progressed.

The presence of two Indian shooters in the medal round underlined the country's competitiveness in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event. For Niraj, the bronze medal was the standout individual achievement, while Aishwary's fifth-place finish provided further evidence of India's strength in the event.

Niraj's bronze medal secured India's second quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games at the ongoing ISSF World Championship. It was also India's first rifle quota for LA28, adding to the quota secured by Jaypal Malviya earlier in the competition.

Jaypal won silver in the men's 10m air pistol, giving India its first quota place at the Doha championship. Niraj's result extended the country's Olympic qualification tally to two. The significance of the achievement lies in the fact that Olympic quota places provide countries with the opportunity to secure representation in specific shooting events at the Games. The quota is allocated to the country rather than automatically guaranteeing the individual shooter a place on the Olympic team.

With the Los Angeles Games approaching in 2028, securing quota places at the World Championship gives India's shooting programme an important foundation for the qualification cycle.

The individual bronze was Niraj's second podium finish at the championship. On November 10, he combined with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran to win bronze in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions team event.

The back-to-back podium finishes made Doha a particularly successful championship for the Indian shooter. The team medal demonstrated India's collective strength, while the individual bronze confirmed Niraj's ability to compete against the world's leading shooters on his own.

His qualification score of 591-29x was another significant aspect of the campaign, placing him first ahead of the final. Although the medal round required a fresh performance under pressure, he maintained his position among the leading competitors and finished with a place on the podium.

Niraj's achievement adds to India's growing medal tally at the ISSF World Championship 2026. With Jaypal Malviya and Niraj Kumar having secured the country's first two LA28 quota places, the Indian contingent has made an encouraging start to its Olympic qualification campaign.

For Niraj personally, the bronze represents a career milestone: his first individual World Championship medal, alongside a team medal in the same event. The result also gives Indian shooting a valuable boost in the rifle category. Having topped qualification and then secured an individual podium finish, Niraj has delivered one of the most notable performances of India's campaign in Doha.

His two medals and the LA28 quota place make November 11 an important day for Indian shooting as the country continues its pursuit of success at the World Championship and builds towards the 2028 Olympic Games.