New Delhi, September 25 – India’s junior shooters made a remarkable start at the ISSF Junior World Cup, securing a medal sweep in the women’s 50m rifle prone event and adding two more podium finishes in the men’s competition.

As per agency report, Anushka Thokur, who had recently captured the junior gold medal in the 50m rifle three positions at the Asian Championship in Kazakhstan, maintained her winning form at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. She topped the women’s 50m rifle prone with a score of 621.6. Teammate Anshika, 18, won silver with 619.2 points, while 20-year-old Aadhya Agrawal secured bronze with 615.9, giving India a clean sweep in the non-Olympic discipline.

In the men’s 50m rifle prone, Deependra Singh Shekhawat bagged silver with 617.9 points and Rohit Kanyan took bronze with 616.3. The gold medal in this category went to individual neutral athlete Kamil Nuriakhmetov, who posted a score of 618.9.

India’s depth in shooting was further reflected with Nitin Waghmare finishing fifth, Kushagra Singh eighth, and Kunal Sharma 11th in the men’s field. The strong all-round performance marked an encouraging opening day for India at the championship, underlining the country’s growing strength in junior shooting.

Shymkent (Kazakhstan), August 19 – India’s Kapil Bainsla delivered a brilliant performance to secure the country’s first gold medal at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship for Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun events in Shymkent. Representing Haryana, the young shooter triumphed in the men’s 10m air pistol junior final with a score of 243.0, edging out Uzbekistan’s Ilkhombek Obidjonov by 0.6 points. Karnataka’s Jonathan Gavin Anthony clinched the bronze with 220.7 points.

The final was closely contested, with Obidjonov taking an early lead. Bainsla kept close behind and overtook him after the 15th shot, though the Uzbek shooter regained the lead after the 20th shot and was one point ahead going into the last two attempts. In the decisive moments, Bainsla scored 10.8 and 10.6, while Obidjonov faltered with 10.4 and 9.4, allowing the Indian to seal victory.

As per agency report, three Indian shooters reached the final. In qualification, Bainsla had finished fourth with 579 points, Jonathan was second with 582, and Mukesh Nelavli was third, while Korea’s Kim Dooyon topped the round with 582.

In the team event, Bainsla and Jonathan joined forces with Vijay Tomar to win silver, posting a combined score of 1723. Korea claimed gold with 1734, and hosts Kazakhstan took bronze.

In the senior men’s category, India’s only finalist Anmol Jain finished sixth with 155.1 points. China’s Hu Kai won gold in both the individual final and the team event. Jain, along with Aditya Malra and Saurabh Chaudhary, secured silver in the team event with a total of 1735 points.

The championship will continue on Tuesday with the women’s and junior women’s 10m air pistol finals, where Indian shooters are expected to be strong contenders.

Lima, April 22 – India concluded its campaign at the ISSF World Cup shooting competition in Lima, Peru, with a third-place finish in the overall medal standings. As per agency report, the Indian duo of Prithviraj Tondaiman and Pragati Dubey fell short of reaching the medal round in the mixed team trap event on the final day of the tournament.

India’s last medal came from Simranpreet Kaur Brar, who secured a podium finish in the women’s 25m pistol event on Monday. This took India’s final medal tally to seven, comprising two gold, four silver, and one bronze.

Although the United States also ended with seven medals, it was placed above India in the standings due to its higher number of gold medals. China topped the medal table with a dominant performance, collecting four gold, three silver, and six bronze medals.

The standout performer for India was 18-year-old Suruchi Inder Singh, who won both of the nation’s gold medals. She clinched gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event, surpassing Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker, and later teamed up with Saurabh Chaudhary to secure gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team category.

In the mixed team trap event held on the final day, the pair of Tondaiman and Dubey posted a combined score of 134 to finish in eighth place, while the second Indian pair of Lakshay and Neeru scored 128 and finished 13th. Only the top four teams advanced to the medal round.

Lima, April 16 – In a stellar display of marksmanship, 18-year-old Suruchi Inder Singh from Jhajjar, Haryana, secured her second consecutive gold medal in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru. Her performance highlighted India’s growing dominance in international shooting, as Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker claimed the silver medal in the same event, as per agency report.

Suruchi, who had earlier won gold at the season’s first ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires, scored 243.6 in the 24-shot final to finish 1.3 points ahead of Bhaker. China’s Yao Qianxun secured the bronze medal.

India capped the day with medals of each color, as Saurabh Chaudhary added a bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol event. With these performances, India topped the medal tally in the women’s 10m air pistol event, ahead of China, who took gold in the men’s category.

In the qualification round of the women’s event, Suruchi posted a strong score of 582 to finish second, while Bhaker shot 578 to qualify in fourth position. Fellow Indian shooter Sainyam narrowly missed the final, placing 11th with a score of 571.

Bhaker, who won bronze in both the women’s air pistol and mixed team events at the Paris Olympics, expressed satisfaction over the rise of Indian shooters on the global stage. She extended her congratulations to Suruchi, acknowledging her impressive consistency and expressing optimism about the future of Indian shooting.

Bhaker said that she was glad to witness more Indian shooters excelling internationally, which reflects positively on the country’s progress in the sport. She noted Suruchi’s back-to-back World Cup wins in Buenos Aires and Lima as signs of exceptional talent and consistency.

Suruchi’s recent performances also include a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Saurabh Chaudhary at the Buenos Aires World Cup.

New Delhi: Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra clinched India’s first gold medal at the ongoing ISSF Shooting World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a remarkable comeback in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) event. This is her maiden individual gold in an ISSF World Cup event.

The 23-year-old shooter from Faridkot, Punjab, delivered a stunning performance late on Friday night at the Tiro Federal Argentino de Buenos Aires shooting range. Trailing Germany’s Anita Mangold by 7.2 points after the kneeling position, Sift mounted a sensational recovery in the prone and standing positions to finish on top.

She concluded the 45-shot final with a score of 458.6, finishing 3.3 points ahead of Mangold, who scored 455.3 to claim silver. Kazakhstan’s junior world championship medalist Arina Altukhova was eliminated after the 44th shot with a score of 445.9, settling for bronze.

As per agency report, this victory brought India its first gold in the tournament, after the country had gone medal-less on the opening day. India now stands second in the medal tally with one gold and one bronze, the latter secured by Chain Singh in the men’s 3P event. China leads the table with one gold and one silver.

Sift had topped the qualification round with a score of 590, ensuring a strong start. Notably, current Olympic champion Chiara Leone of Switzerland and former Olympic champion Nina Christen failed to make the top eight. Other prominent names like Kazakhstan’s Aleksandra Le and Olympic medalist Mary Tucker of the USA also fell short in the qualifiers.

In skeet shooting, four qualification rounds have been completed. Paris Olympian Raiza Dhillon leads among Indian women shooters with scores of 25, 22, 24, and 23, totaling 94 points and placing her sixth—just enough for the final qualifying position. Ganemat Sekhon is placed 11th with 92 points, while Darshna Rathore is in 18th place with 89.

Among the men, Bhavtegh Gill scored 94 and currently holds the 18th spot, followed by Anant Jeet Singh Naruka with 93 and Gurjoat Khangura with 91. One more qualification round remains before the final event.

Guwahati : After clinching gold in the Khelo India University Games 2023 Air Pistol event, young shooter Arjun Singh Cheema has set his sights on the prestigious Paris Olympics scheduled for July-August this year. Currently ranked third in the national pecking order for the 10m Air Pistol, Cheema is determined to capitalize on his winning momentum and earn a spot on the Indian team.

Cheema, who was part of the gold-winning Indian team at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, expressed his unwavering resolve. Representing Lovely Professional University, he stated, "My ultimate goal for this year is the Olympics, and this victory at Khelo India boosts my confidence for the selection trials. My focus now solely lies on achieving the qualifying mark."

This win marks a significant improvement for Cheema, who previously finished fourth in the same event at the previous Khelo India edition held in Uttar Pradesh. This time, at the Kahilpara Shooting Range, he displayed remarkable mental strength, leading from the first round to the final and securing victory with a total score of 242.5.

"It was a close competition right up to the end," Cheema explained, referring to the narrow two-point difference between him and Amit of Guru Nanak Dev University before the final round. "During those moments, a myriad of thoughts cloud your mind, but staying calm and composed is crucial."

Attributing his improved performance to a holistic approach, the Asian Games gold medalist elaborated, "The previous Khelo India Games were invaluable. I've learned a lot since then. Mentally, I'm more focused, determined, and I understand that sports is much more than just results; it's also about attitude."

Cheema emphasizes the crucial role of his support system in his journey. "It's a collective effort," he asserted. "It's not just my hard work, but the unwavering support of my parents, friends, my sports psychologist, and the government."

Being a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for over a year, Cheema is immensely grateful for the comprehensive support he receives. "The government provides athletes with everything they need, from equipment and international competition opportunities to specialized training. It's no longer solely the responsibility of the athlete's family, which is a tremendous positive change. Platforms like the Khelo India Games offer us a recognized platform to access this government support," he concluded.

New Delhi/Bhopal, Dec 3 (IANS) Rajasthan’s Abhinav Choudhary clinched the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) title in the ongoing 66th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) for Pistol events, at Bhopal’s M.P. State Shooting Academy range on Sunday.

Abhinav shot a score of 30 in the final to outgun Uttar Pradesh’s Ankur Goel, who finished with 26 hits to his name. Delhi’s Arpit Goel ended third with 21.

Abhinav had earlier qualified for the final round involving the top six shooters with a score of 584 in qualification, which was also the leading score.

In the junior men’s RFP, Vijayveer Sidhu struck gold with 28 hits in the final, getting the better of Haryana’s Paris Olympic quota-winner Anish Bhanwala, who had 25.

Punjab won gold and bronze in the event when Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu shot 20 to pick up the bronze.

Anish (578) did win the team event in men’s RFP however, combining with Sameer (578) and Adarsh Singh (571) for a combined effort of 1727. Vijayveer along with Rajkanwar and twin brother Udhayveer won the junior team gold.

New Delhi (India), July 1: This is an account of years of exuberance teaming up with passion, hard work and a dream of transforming target shooting sports in India.

The success story of Dr. Y. P Shirsat, the co-founder of Precihole Sports, is quite remarkable. Working towards building a strong foundation for a harmonious ecosystem of target shooting sports for the nation’s kids, youth and adults, Dr. Shirsat has come a long way from taking his love for this beautiful sport and finally converting it into a training centre.

An Inspiring Journey That Gave Birth To Precihole Sports

Dr. Y P Shirsat, though a medical doctor by profession, has always harbored a love for shooting sports. At the age of 17, his inventive mindset led him to design his first gun.

On completing his medical studies, Dr. Shirsat nurtured his passion for target shooting and gun designing. In 1994, he joined Indian Hume Pipe (IHP) as a technical consultant and had a breakthrough when he made revolutionary designs of air rifles that could compete on a national level. It was during this time that he came up with his first original bullpup air rifle design based on IHP side lever action. Interestingly, it was a hand-made air rifle with basic tools. This was just the beginning of a journey that would transform the arena of air rifle manufacturing in India.

A pivotal development came in 2012 when Dr. Shirsat joined hands with India’s leading deep hole drilling manufacturer, Precihole Machine Tools. Together they established Precihole Sports with a shared vision of mass-producing high-quality, affordable air rifles, thereby enhancing India’s self-reliance on the global stage.

Based in Thane, the Precihole Group of companies are the only companies in the world that not only make their own barrel but also develop high-precision machines to make the same. Embracing the idea of ‘Made In India’, Precihole Sports has ensured to invest in its own technology in the manufacturing process.

Noble Initiatives Through Precihole Foundation

Dr. Shirsat and his team, firm believers in giving back to society, established the Precihole Foundation. This noble initiative is aimed at making a difference in the lives of those who need support.

Precihole Foundation today provides equipment and range set-up services for schools, colleges, universities, clubs and other institutions. It also strongly believes that every target shooting aspirant should get the opportunity to practice and perform in competitive leagues. By conducting free seminars and counselling sessions and providing financial and material aid, Precihole Foundation provides support to these aspirants in their pursuits.

Additionally, the Precihole Foundation values the sacrifices and commitments made by soldiers. Efforts are made to support the rehabilitation of these heroes and their families. The foundation is also devoted to building a secure and sustainable future for the families of police personnel.

Opening Doors To Its First Training Centre In Thane

Dr. Shirsat has witnessed a transformation in shooting sports in India as the basic awareness, quality of training and expertise has grown. He believes that it has come due to better coaching as former shooters like himself are actively seeking to contribute to the development of the sport.

Precihole Foundation Training Centre (PFTC), a creation of the Precihole Foundation, was launched in Thane with the goal of providing professional coaching in air rifle & air pistol shooting and making it widely accessible. The organization aims to offer structured training programs to transform Indian shooting aspirants into medal-winning athletes.

As India continues to produce champion shooters and gain recognition in world shooting, demand for training in the sport has increased. PFTC seeks to meet this demand by offering systematic training, top-of-the-line equipment, and comprehensive support during competitions.

PFTC also offers fitness facilities, nutrition consultations, and access to on-staff psychologists to support the holistic development of its students. The goal is to develop world champions from raw talent and make India proud on the global stage.

For more information, please visit:

www.preciholefoundation.org and https://www.preciholesports.com/ 

Email Id: precihole.foundation@gmail.com

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Bhopal, March 25 (IANS) Olympian shooter Manu Bhaker won India's sixth medal of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol Bhopal, picking up a bronze in the women's 25m pistol at the M.P. State Shooting Academy range, here on Saturday.

China however, continued their domination of the tournament, winning a sixth gold medal out of the eight decided so far. The final competition day comes up on Sunday with two more finals left to be played -- the women's 3P and the men's 25m rapid fire pistol (RFP).

Du Linshu won the first medal event of competition on day four, defeating Hungary's Istvan Peni 16-10 in the men's 3P gold medal clash. Seasoned Swiss 3P specialist Jan Lochbihler won bronze when he edged out home favourite Aishwary Tomar in the top eight ranking round.

He finished the 40-shot round with a score of 407.4 while Aishwary, courtesy three five-shot series in the 40s in the final standing position, finished with a score of 405.5.

Du topped the round with 410.7 while Istvan was second with 408.2. The Indian had earlier topped the 60-shot qualification round with a score of 591.

In the women's 25m pistol, two Indians made the ranking round with Manu shooting a solid 294 in the second rapid-fire stage to finish third with a score of 584. Esha Singh bagged the seventh spot with 581.

That meant both Indians found themselves in the first ranking match together from where, eventual gold medallist Doreen Vennekamp of Germany and Manu, qualified for the medal match with 14-hits each out of 20.

Esha was third with 11-hits while Zavala of Mexico was fourth with 10-hits. Two Chinese shooters, Xiong Yaxuan and eventual silver medallist Du Ziyue came through from the second ranking match with 12-hits apiece as the Koean and Singaporean shooters were eliminated.

In the medal match, where the fourth shooter was eliminated after the first four five-shot series, Xiong bowed out with 12-hits, confirming India's medal. Doreen was leading at that stage with 16-hits while both Manu and China's Ziyue were tied on 14-hits each.

The Indian fought hard thereafter but her opponents did not falter, leaving Manu to settle for bronze after the sixth series with 20-hits to her name. Doreen finished with 30-hits at the end of 40-shots to Ziyue's 29, returning a popular winner.

This was the German two-time world championship medallist's second medal in Bhopal, after winning silver in the women's 10m air pistol earlier.

China now has 10 medals at the Bhopal World Cup stage including two silver and bronze medals each, besides six golds. India lies second with the lone gold won by Sarabjot Singh in the men's 10m air pistol as well as one silver and four bronze medals.

Germany is third with one gold and one silver each while Hungary is fourth with two silver medals. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, USA and Switzerland are the other medal winners.