New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) India concluded its dominant campaign with an extraordinary haul of 24 medals, comprising 7 gold, 8 silver, and 9 bronze at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany.

The country’s campaign got off to a flying start with Sejal Kamble winning the individual gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Women Junior event, while Himanshi secured the bronze. The trio of Sejal Kamble, Vanshika Choudhary, and Navya Bishnoi then claimed gold in the corresponding Team event to give India an early lead in the championship.

The momentum stayed firmly with India as Sameer won gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior event and Rohit Kanyan emerged victorious in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior competition. Prachi Gaikwad added a silver medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women Junior event, while India secured bronze medals in both the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior Team and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior Team events through highly consistent team performances.

Celebrating the incredible depth of the squad, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President, NRAI, said, “Topping the medal tally at a World Championship for two successive editions is a phenomenal achievement. What makes me happiest is that these 24 medals didn’t just come from one or two individual stars, they were spread across rifle and pistol, individual, mixed, and team events. It proves that our structural grassroots programmes are working effectively and the depth of talent we have in India right now is immense. Every single one of these young athletes has made the nation proud.”

India continued to pile on the medals through Anvii Rathod, who claimed bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Women Junior event, followed by a masterful performance from Pritam Kendre, who clinched gold in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event. India also won bronze medals in the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team and 25m Pistol Men Junior Team events to fortify its position at the apex of the standings.

In the 10m Air Pistol Men Junior category, Shiva Narwal won silver and Yug Pratap Singh Rathore secured bronze in a spectacular double-podium finish. Narwal then teamed up with Sandeep Bishnoi and Chirag Sharma to earn silver in the Team event, before partnering with Vanshika Chaudhary to secure another silver in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team discipline.

Reflecting on the grit shown by the contingent, Pawankumar Singh, Secretary General, NRAI, said, “Suhl always tests young athletes because the conditions and the competition are incredibly intense. Seeing our junior team handle that pressure so calmly and consistently hit the podium is highly encouraging for the future of Indian shooting. This success belongs just as much to the coaches, support staff, and families working relentlessly behind the scenes as it does to the shooters themselves. Our focus now is to ensure we sustain this momentum as they eventually transition into the senior ranks.”

One of India’s strongest performances came in the closing stages of the championship. Abhinav Deshwal won gold in the 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior event, while Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Abhinav Shaw captured gold in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior competition. India also secured silver in the 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior Team event through Abhinav Deshwal, Jatin, and Abhinav Choudhary. In the 25m Standard Pistol Women Junior event, Shaurya Dilip Bharne claimed silver and Riya Duggal added a bronze medal.

On the final day of competition, Raj Chandra won bronze in the 50m Pistol Men Junior event, while Yogesh Kumar, Prateek, and Abhinav Choudhary combined for a silver in the Team event. Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur rounded off the stellar campaign with a hard-fought individual silver medal in the 50m Pistol Women Junior event to mathematically seal India’s position at the top of the world.

–IANS

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