India Gears Up for Medal Hunt on Opening Day of ISSF World Championships 2025 in Cairo
Image source: IANS
New Delhi, November 7 (TheTrendingPeople.com): With 15 Indian shooters in action across five events, the 2025 ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol kicks off on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt, setting the stage for a high-octane opening day that will see four gold medals decided — two from Olympic events and two from non-Olympic categories.
The event, organized by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), will feature more than 720 athletes from 71 nations competing at Cairo’s Olympic Shooting Range across 10 days of intense action. The championship, often described by athletes as the pinnacle of competitive shooting, attracts a wider pool of world-class talent than even the Olympics, making it one of the sport’s most prestigious stages.
India, which has fielded a 40-member squad, will be competing in 17 events, including all 10 Olympic shooting disciplines, with hopes of carrying forward its stellar form from the year’s earlier competitions.
High Stakes on Day One
The opening day will spotlight two of shooting’s most-watched Olympic events — the men’s and women’s 10m air rifle finals — alongside the non-Olympic 50m pistol events for both men and women, which will also award gold medals.
India’s challenge in the men’s 10m air rifle event will be led by Rudrankksh Patil, who is returning to the venue where he was crowned world champion in 2022. Ranked 10th in the world, Rudrankksh is joined by Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, and Vishal Singh, a promising newcomer.
Both Rudrankksh and Babuta have been in exceptional form, picking up medals at the Buenos Aires and Lima World Cups, respectively, along with several mixed team podium finishes. However, they will face stiff competition from China’s Sheng Lihao, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder, who is determined to clinch his first World Championship title after finishing with bronze in Cairo three years ago.
“Returning to Cairo brings back great memories,” Rudrankksh said ahead of the competition. “It’s a challenging field this year, but we’ve prepared well. The goal is to stay focused on process and precision.”
Women’s 10m Air Rifle: A Clash of Experience and Youth
India’s women’s 10m air rifle lineup features two-time Olympian Elavenil Valarivan, Meghana Sajjanar, and Shreya Agrawal, who will compete in a 121-athlete qualification field stacked with elite shooters.
Both Elavenil and Meghana have impressed in the international circuit this year, securing World Cup medals, but will need to overcome a star-studded lineup that includes Korea’s Olympic champion Ban Hyojin and rising Chinese teenage sensations Wang Zifei and Peng Xinlu.
“Ela and Meghana have been training intensively since our last camp,” said Deepali Deshpande, India’s rifle coach, speaking from Cairo.
“The shooters arrived early, got familiar with the range conditions, and the weather has been cooperative. The team’s morale is high, and we expect strong performances right from day one.”
Non-Olympic 50m Pistol Events: India’s Medal Hopes
The day’s schedule also includes the men’s and women’s 50m pistol finals, where India will be represented by Kamaljeet, Ravinder Singh, and Yogesh Kumar in the men’s category, while Parisha, Priyanka Patel, and Sakshi Suryavanshi will compete in the women’s event.
While the 50m pistol event is no longer part of the Olympic roster, it remains one of the sport’s oldest and most technically demanding disciplines, rewarding precision and mental endurance.
“The 50m pistol is all about mental strength,” said Ravinder Singh, ahead of the event. “We’ve worked hard to control the variables — wind, light, and timing — and are confident of a good showing.”
India’s Depth: Rising Stars and Familiar Faces
India’s participation in Cairo isn’t limited to its veterans. Several young shooters, including Olympian Anish Bhanwala, Adarsh Singh, and debutant Sameer, will compete in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) qualification round, hoping to advance to the finals in the coming days.
The Cairo Worlds also hold additional significance as the final qualification event for the ISSF World Cup Finals, scheduled in Doha this December. Nine Indians have already booked their spots for the cash-rich showdown, but a strong finish in Cairo could push that number into double digits.
India’s Form Heading into Cairo
Indian shooting has enjoyed a remarkable 2025 season, dominating across senior and junior levels.
The junior team topped the medal standings at both ISSF Junior World Cups, while the seniors delivered a string of podium finishes in global competitions. Teen prodigy Suruchi, who captured three consecutive golds in the women’s 10m air pistol at World Cups, enters Cairo as the world’s top-ranked shooter in her category.
Similarly, Esha Singh’s historic gold in Ningbo, China, marked a breakthrough for the Hyderabad-based shooter, while Meghana Sajjanar clinched her first individual World Cup medal earlier this year.
Overall, India finished second or third in three of the four senior ISSF World Cups in 2025, before topping the charts at the 16th Asian Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Historically, India has performed exceptionally well in Cairo, topping the standings in both ISSF World Cups hosted there in the past two years and finishing second at the 2022 World Championships.
Cairo 2025: A Clash of Champions
The 2025 ISSF World Championships in Cairo promises to be a battle of titans, featuring nearly every reigning world and Olympic champion. With 720 athletes representing 71 nations, it serves as both a benchmark of technical excellence and a preview of the talent likely to dominate at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
For India, the tournament provides an opportunity to sustain its upward trajectory and solidify its reputation as one of the top shooting nations in the world.
“Our athletes are well-prepared and hungry for success,” said a National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) spokesperson. “Cairo has been lucky for us in the past, and we are confident of adding to our medal tally this year.”
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
As competition begins in Cairo, all eyes will be on India’s 15 shooters in action on the opening day, led by familiar names like Rudrankksh Patil, Arjun Babuta, Elavenil Valarivan, and Meghana Sajjanar.
The ISSF World Championships 2025 marks not just a test of precision and composure, but also of India’s depth, discipline, and ambition on the world stage.
If recent history is any indication, Cairo could once again prove to be a turning point in India’s shooting journey — one that reaffirms its rise as a global powerhouse in the sport.