The ISSF World Championships returned to Cairo on Saturday, marking the first major global test of the 2025 season across rifle and pistol disciplines.
For India, Day 1 unfolded with a mix of promising finals performances, competitive qualification placements, and several steady mid-pack scores that kept the country well in contention for medals in the coming days. While the opening day did not produce a podium, the Indian contingent showed both depth and composure across events, especially in the high-profile 10m Air Rifle categories and the men’s 50m pistol, where Ravinder Singh emerged as one of the stars of the day.
Elavenil Valarivan Leads India’s Day Through the 10m Air Rifle Women’s Final
The highlight for India came early in the afternoon, when Elavenil Valarivan delivered a strong showing in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s Final, eventually finishing third behind Korea’s Ban Hyojin and China’s Wang Zifei. While the official podium recognises only the international ranking positions, Elavenil’s performance reinforced why she continues to be one of India’s most reliable rifle shooters on the world stage.
Elavenil entered the final as India’s lone qualifier with a score of 634.3, placing fifth in the preliminary round. Once inside the final, she began steadily, maintaining rhythm through both competition stages before closing with 232.0 in the elimination phase. Ban Hyojin dominated the final with 255.0, and Wang followed closely at 254.0, but Elavenil kept India in the frame throughout. For an event that often swings drastically across decimal margins, her consistency stood out as a key early positive for the Indian camp.
India also saw competitive scoring in the qualification round from Meghana Sajjanar, who shot 631.2 and finished 17th, narrowly missing out on the top eight. Shreya Agrawal also delivered a composed series, contributing importantly to India’s team result.
The strong individual display fed into an equally stable outing in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s Team event, where India finished third behind China and Korea. For a team rebuilding after the 2024 Olympic cycle, this was a reassuring start. The performances reflected familiarity, composure, and the ability to stay competitive even in technically demanding conditions.
Arjun Babuta Advanced to Final in 10m Air Rifle Men but finished seventh.
On the men’s side, Arjun Babuta carried India’s hopes in the 10m Air Rifle category with a strong qualification performance. His 632.5 placed him seventh overall, securing a place in the final in a field dominated by Sweden’s Victor Lindgren, who topped qualification with 634.6. China’s Wang Honghao and Sheng Lihao were close behind, reflecting the traditional strength of the Asian and European blocks in men’s air rifle.
Inside the final, Babuta didn’t find the rhythm he produced in qualification but still held on for seventh place with 145.0. Germany’s Maximilian Dallinger claimed gold with 252.0, followed by Lindgren and Sheng.
Even without a podium finish, Babuta’s qualification series especially the 106.5 and 106.0 blocks showed that he remains capable of breaking into medal territory with a little more stability during the elimination segments. His form will remain important as the mixed team event approaches.
In the Men’s Team event, India finished fourth with a total of 944.5, just behind Hungary and Germany. Babuta’s 314.8, Rudrankksh Patil’s 315.3, and Vishal Singh’s 314.4 placed India well but not quite enough to break into the top three. China topped the standings once again with 949.2. This result, however, keeps India within striking range. With both Patil and Babuta capable of pushing their individual scores higher, the team ranking could shift through the week as form stabilises across rounds.
Ravinder Singh Steals the Spotlight in 50m Pistol Men
The biggest Indian statement of the day came from Ravinder Singh in the 50m Pistol Men qualification. In an event known for unforgiving precision, Ravinder shot a commanding 569-12x, dominating the field and outscoring his nearest competitors by more than 10 points.
Ravinder’s series 93, 98, 94, 95, 93, 96 was among the most stable and well-controlled sequences of the day across all disciplines. Korea’s Cheongyong Kim and AIN’s Anton Aristarkhov trailed with 556 each, most of the field clustering between 545 and 556, making Ravinder’s 569 particularly impressive. His performance instantly places him among India’s strongest medal contenders going into the later rounds.
The event also saw Kamaljeet (540) and Yogesh Kumar (537) deliver respectable scores, though outside the top 15. The depth here is encouraging—India appears to have a strong pipeline forming again after years of uneven results in precision pistol events.
The women’s 50m pistol qualification featured three Indians clustered closely around the middle of the table. Priyanka Patel led the group with 533-8x, followed by Sakshi Suryavanshi (532-4x) and Parisha Gupta (531-4x). The event was headline-grabbing globally, not for India but due to a pair of world-record-breaking performances from China’s Yao Qianxun (550-8x) and Azerbaijan’s Nigar Asirova (550-7x). With the leaders rewriting benchmarks, India’s athletes remained consistent but could not push into the higher placements. Still, all three Indians demonstrated control and technical maturity, suggesting room for upward traction in future rounds.
25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Anish Keeps India Touching Distance of Qualification
In the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, Anish produced a solid Stage 1 performance, scoring 291 (96, 99, 96). The event was tightly packed, with China’s Ni Zhixin leading with 294 and Germany’s Florian Peter close behind on 293.
Anish remains very much in the mix as the competition moves into Stage 2, where margins often tighten dramatically. His ability to deliver 98-99 blocks consistently will decide whether India reaches the final.
Day 1 at the ISSF World Championships 2025 offered a blend of promise and opportunity for India. Elavenil’s Medal, Babuta’s Final, and Ravinder Singh’s sensational 50m pistol performance formed the backbone of the day’s highlights. Team events brought India near the podium in both men’s and women’s air rifle. Crucially, India ends the opening day with shooters in strong positions for deeper runs later in the week especially in rifle, mixed events, and pistol finals still to come.
The medals did not arrive today, but the indicators are positive. India’s shooters are in form, competitive in every major vertical, and well-placed to build momentum as the Championships continue.
