Indian shooters finished third at the ISSF World Cup after the pair of Prithviraj Tondaiman and Pragati Dubey failed to reach the medals round in the trap mixed team event in Lima, Peru on the final day. Simranpreet Kaur Brar fetched India’s final medal in the women’s 25m pistol event on Monday, taking the country’s tally to seven, including two gold, four silver and a bronze. While the USA also ended with seven medals, they edged ahead of India to take second place, courtesy of a higher gold-medal count.

China finished on top of the standings with four gold, three silver and six bronze medals.

The standout performer for India was 18-year-old Suruchi Inder Singh, who claimed both of the country’s gold medals. She outgunned Paris Olympics double medallist Manu Bhaker to win the 10m air pistol title before teaming up with Saurabh Chaudhary to secure gold in the mixed team event.

In the trap mixed team event on Monday, Tondaiman and Dubey posted a combined score of 134 to finish eighth, while the other Indian pair of Lakshay and Neeru ended 13th with the total score of 128. Only the top four teams advance to the medal rounds.

K Sultan Singh, Secretary General, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), seemed pleased with the young Indian shooters’ show.

“It was a young squad and the exposure of going half-way around the world into alien conditions, adapting to the surroundings, the ranges, and then bringing out your best for India, will be an experience which will hold them in good stead,” Singh was quoted as saying in a press release.

“Remember, the next LA Olympics will be a similar experience. Having said that, given the quality of competition, the squad as they have been doing generally over the years, performed splendidly,” added Singh.

In the back-to-back World Cups in Argentina and Peru, Indian shooters reached a total of 32 finals, including medal matches in the mixed events and returned with 15 medals including six gold.

The 18-year-old Suruchi was the most successful, bringing home three gold and one bronze medal.

Arya Borse was the other World Cup debutant to shine, making it to three finals and returning with two silver medals in the mixed team rifle event.

“It gives us immense pleasure to look at the depth we have developed in the sport. There are so many accomplished international shooters who were back home and not part of this tour and still we have produced such results. This shows that Indian shooting is moving in the right direction,” Singh said.

The next international assignment for Indian shooters will only for shotgun exponents who will compete in the Cyprus World Cup, beginning in the first week of May in Nicosia. 

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