DOHA, Nov. 3: India made a promising start to the ISSF World Championship 2026 in Doha, winning one gold and two silver medals on the opening day, although the country’s shooters missed opportunities to secure Los Angeles 2028 Olympic quota places in the men’s and women’s 10m air rifle events.
The Indian contingent celebrated podium finishes in two different disciplines, with the men’s 50m pistol team winning gold and the women’s 10m air rifle team securing silver. Ravinder Singh also claimed an individual silver medal in the men’s 50m pistol competition.
Despite the encouraging medal haul, the opening day highlighted the difficulties Indian shooters face in converting strong international performances into Olympic qualification places.
The biggest disappointment came in the women’s 10m air rifle final, where experienced Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan finished sixth with a score of 167.3 points. She had entered the final after an impressive qualification round but could not maintain the same level of performance during the medal-deciding stages.
The World Championship, being held in Doha, Qatar, from November 1 to 14, is an important international competition as shooters begin their campaign for qualification opportunities ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
India have sent a 54-member shooting contingent to the championship, with the team aiming to establish itself among the leading nations in rifle, pistol and shotgun events.
The opening day’s results offered a mixture of encouragement and concern for the Indian coaching staff.
In the men’s 50m pistol team event, Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary and Amanpreet Singh combined to deliver India’s first gold medal of the competition.
The Indian trio produced a combined score of 1,659 to finish ahead of their competitors and secure the top position.
Ravinder was particularly impressive, adding an individual silver medal to the team’s gold-winning performance. He recorded 559 points, including 11 inner tens, to finish second in the individual standings.
Neutral athlete Anton Aristarkhov won the individual gold with 561 points, while Romania’s Luca Joldea secured bronze with 558 points.
Saurabh Chaudhary and Amanpreet Singh also contributed valuable scores to India’s team total, helping the country finish at the top of the competition.
The result was an important achievement for the Indian shooting squad, particularly because the men’s 50m pistol event featured several experienced international competitors.
However, the discipline is not included in the Olympic shooting programme for Los Angeles 2028. Consequently, the medals did not provide India with any Olympic quota places.
The country’s second silver medal came in the women’s 10m air rifle team event.
Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Shambhavi Kshirsagar combined to register 1,894.4 points, securing second place behind China, which won gold with 1,899.8 points.
Japan finished third with 1,892.6 points to claim the bronze medal.
The Indian women’s team produced a competitive performance, although the final standings reflected the narrow margins separating the leading countries.
Elavenil was the strongest performer among the Indian shooters in the individual qualification round. She recorded 634.2 points to finish third and qualify for the eight-shooter final.
Sonam Maskar finished 19th with 630.5 points, while Shambhavi Kshirsagar secured 32nd position with 629.7 points.
The qualification results placed considerable responsibility on Elavenil, who was India’s only representative to reach an individual final across the men’s and women’s 10m air rifle competitions.
However, the final proved more challenging than expected.
Elavenil began the competition with a promising performance but struggled to maintain consistency as the elimination rounds progressed. She eventually finished sixth with 167.3 points, ending her hopes of securing an individual medal and an Olympic quota place.
South Korea’s reigning Olympic champion Ban Hyojin won the gold medal with 253.1 points. China’s Han Jiayu claimed silver with 252.2 points, while compatriot Wang Zifei finished third with 231 points.
Han’s performance also secured an Olympic quota place for China.
The result was particularly disappointing for India because Elavenil had demonstrated the ability to compete with the leading shooters during qualification.
Her experience at major international competitions, including the Paris Olympics and the Asian Games, had raised expectations of a strong challenge in Doha.
Nevertheless, the final illustrated the intensity of competition at the highest level, where even small differences in individual shots can determine the outcome.
The Indian men’s 10m air rifle team also experienced a difficult opening day.
Parth Mane, Himanshu Dhillion and Parth Makhija were unable to secure places in the individual final, with all three finishing outside the leading positions.
Mane was the best-placed Indian shooter, finishing 16th with 630.3 points. Dhillion recorded 628.1 points to finish 41st, while Makhija ended in 61st position with 625.2 points.
The results were below the standards expected from the young Indian shooters, particularly considering their performances in domestic competitions and selection trials.
Mane had previously demonstrated considerable potential and was regarded as one of the promising young names in the country’s rifle shooting programme.
However, the international competition in Doha proved difficult, with the leading shooters producing significantly higher qualification scores.
China’s Sheng Lihao delivered an outstanding performance, recording 637.2 points in qualification to establish a considerable advantage over the field.
The performance once again demonstrated China’s strength in the rifle discipline and highlighted the standard Indian shooters must reach to challenge the leading international competitors.
Among the women, Sonam and Shambhavi also failed to reproduce their best performances in qualification.
Their scores of 630.5 and 629.7 respectively were insufficient to secure places in the individual final.
Although the women’s team silver represented an encouraging achievement, the absence of an Olympic quota from the individual competition remained a concern for the Indian camp.
Under the qualification system, shooters must finish in designated positions in eligible Olympic disciplines to secure quota places for their respective National Olympic Committees.
The men’s 50m pistol event cannot provide such an opportunity because it is not included in the Olympic programme.
The women’s 10m air rifle competition, however, offered a valuable chance for India to begin collecting qualification places.
Elavenil’s sixth-place finish meant that the country missed that opportunity on the opening day.
The Indian shooting federation will now look towards the remaining competitions to improve the country’s Olympic qualification position.
With several events still to be contested during the championship, the Indian contingent has sufficient opportunities to recover from the disappointing start in the 10m air rifle individual competitions.
The coaching staff will also be keen to examine the performances of younger shooters and identify areas requiring improvement before upcoming international assignments.
India have invested considerable effort in developing shooting talent through national competitions, training programmes and international exposure. The results in Doha underline both the progress made by the country’s athletes and the challenges that remain.
The medals won on the opening day provide encouragement, especially in the men’s 50m pistol and women’s team air rifle competitions.
However, the failure to convert individual performances into Olympic quota places will remain an important talking point as the championship progresses.
For Elavenil, the immediate challenge will be to regain confidence and maintain consistency in her upcoming assignments. The experienced shooter remains an important part of India’s international shooting programme.
The younger members of the contingent will also be expected to use the experience gained in Doha to improve their performances against the world’s leading competitors.
India’s overall objective remains to secure as many Olympic quota places as possible before the qualification period concludes.
The opening day has therefore delivered a mixed message for the Indian team: three medals demonstrate its competitive strength, but the missed opportunities in the Olympic events underline the need for greater consistency.
With the ISSF World Championship continuing until November 14, Indian shooters will have further opportunities to turn their medal-winning momentum into qualification success for Los Angeles 2028.