The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) celebrated a historic achievement as the Indian contingent secured the top spot in the medal standings at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany. India concluded the campaign with an extraordinary total of 24 medals: seven gold, eight silver, and nine bronze.
Early Dominance Sets the Tone
India's campaign started strongly with Sejal Kamble winning the individual gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Women Junior event, while Himanshi added a bronze. The trio of Sejal Kamble, Vanshika Choudhary, and Navya Bishnoi then clinched gold in the corresponding team event, giving India an early lead in the championship.
Sameer secured gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior event, and Rohit Kanyan triumphed in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior competition. Prachi Gaikwad earned a silver medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women Junior event. India also won bronze medals in both the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior Team and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior Team events through consistent team performances, according to an NRAI press release.
Leadership Praises Depth and Grassroots
Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President of NRAI, said, "Topping the medal tally at a World Championship for two successive editions is a phenomenal achievement. What makes me happiest is that these 24 medals didn't just come from one or two individual stars, they were spread across rifle and pistol, individual, mixed, and team events. It proves that our structural grassroots programmes are working effectively, and the depth of talent we have in India right now is immense. Every single one of these young athletes has made the nation proud."
India continued to pile on medals through Anvii Rathod, who claimed bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Women Junior event, followed by Pritam Kendre, who clinched gold in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event. India also won bronze medals in the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team and 25m Pistol Men Junior Team events to strengthen its position at the top of the standings.
Double-Podium Finishes and Mixed Team Success
In the 10m Air Pistol Men Junior category, Shiva Narwal won silver and Yug Pratap Singh Rathore secured bronze in a spectacular double-podium finish. Narwal then teamed with Sandeep Bishnoi and Chirag Sharma to earn silver in the team event before partnering with Vanshika Chaudhary to secure another silver in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team discipline.
Pawankumar Singh, Secretary General of NRAI, said, "Suhl always tests young athletes because the conditions and the competition are incredibly intense. Seeing our junior team handle that pressure so calmly and consistently hit the podium is highly encouraging for the future of Indian shooting. This success belongs just as much to the coaches, support staff, and families working relentlessly behind the scenes as it does to the shooters themselves. Our focus now is to ensure we sustain this momentum as they eventually transition into the senior ranks."
Strong Finish Seals Top Position
One of India's strongest performances came in the closing stages. Abhinav Deshwal won gold in the 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior event, while Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Abhinav Shaw captured gold in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior competition. India also secured silver in the 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior Team event through Abhinav Deshwal, Jatin, and Abhinav Choudhary. In the 25m Standard Pistol Women Junior event, Shaurya Dilip Bharne claimed silver and Riya Duggal added a bronze.
On the final day, Raj Chandra won bronze in the 50m Pistol Men Junior event, while Yogesh Kumar, Prateek, and Abhinav Choudhary combined for a silver in the team event. Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur rounded off the campaign with a hard-fought individual silver medal in the 50m Pistol Women Junior event, mathematically sealing India's position at the top of the world.
Complete Medal Winners - ISSF Junior World Championship 2026
- 10m Air Pistol Women Junior: Gold - Sejal Kamble, Bronze - Himanshi
- 10m Air Pistol Women Junior Team: Gold - Sejal Kamble, Vanshika Choudhary, Navya Bishnoi
- 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women Junior: Silver - Prachi Gaikwad
- 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior: Gold - Sameer
- 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior: Gold - Rohit Kanyan
- 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior Team: Bronze - Rohit Kanyan, Vedant Nitin Waghmare, Hithesh Srinivasan
- 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior Team: Bronze - Sameer, Abhinav Choudhary, Sahil Choudhary
- 10m Air Rifle Women Junior: Bronze - Anvii Rathod
- 10m Air Rifle Men Junior: Gold - Pritam Kendre
- 25m Pistol Women Junior Team: Bronze - Anjali Mahendra Bhagwat, Parisha Gupta, Nithila Ivy Darling Praveen Christopher
- 25m Pistol Men Junior Team: Bronze - Abhinav Choudhary, Raj Chandra, Jatin
- 10m Air Pistol Men Junior: Silver - Shiva Narwal, Bronze - Yug Pratap Singh Rathore
- 10m Air Pistol Men Junior Team: Silver - Shiva Narwal, Sandeep Bishnoi, Chirag Sharma
- 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Junior: Silver - Vanshika Chaudhary, Shiva Narwal
- 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior: Gold - Abhinav Deshwal
- 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior Team: Silver - Abhinav Deshwal, Jatin, Abhinav Choudhary
- 25m Standard Pistol Women Junior: Silver - Shaurya Dilip Bharne, Bronze - Riya Duggal
- 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior: Gold - Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar, Abhinav Shaw
- 50m Pistol Men Junior: Bronze - Raj Chandra
- 50m Pistol Men Junior Team: Silver - Yogesh Kumar, Prateek, Abhinav Choudhary
- 50m Pistol Women Junior: Silver - Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur
