Cairo (Egypt): India’s Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar delivered a phenomenal performance at the ISSF World Championships Rifle/Pistol 2025, equaling the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) world record and securing India’s first-ever individual silver medal in the event.
The two-time Olympian shot a brilliant 466.9 in the 45-shot final at the Olympic Shooting Range in Cairo, narrowly missing gold to China’s reigning Olympic champion Liu Yukun, who edged ahead with 467.1 — just 0.2 points more.
Aishwary’s Record-Breaking Show
The reigning two-time Asian champion was in sublime touch right from the qualification round. Aishwary shot a perfect 200/200 in both the Kneeling and Prone positions, followed by a near-flawless 197 in Standing, finishing with a total of 597 — equaling the men’s 3P qualification world record jointly held by Liu and fellow Chinese shooter Linshu Du.
India’s Niraj Kumar also impressed, qualifying fifth with a strong 592, making it two Indians in the eight-man final.
A Neck-and-Neck Final
In the final, Aishwary had a shaky start, registering an 8.6 in his sixth Kneeling shot, which briefly set him back. However, he rebounded superbly in his preferred Prone position, producing consistent series of 53.3, 52.7, and 52.7, narrowing the gap with Liu to just 0.2 points.
As eliminations began after 40 shots, the contest turned into a two-way battle between Aishwary and Liu. Going into the last shot, Aishwary held a slender lead, but Liu’s 10.1 under pressure forced the Indian to aim for 10.2 or higher. Unfortunately, Aishwary managed a 9.8, settling for a memorable silver, while Liu clinched gold.
France’s Romain Aufrere claimed the bronze, while Niraj Kumar finished fifth in his maiden World Championship final — a promising sign for India’s shooting future.
Esha Singh and Samrat Rana Add Silver in Mixed Air Pistol
Earlier in the day, India’s newly crowned air pistol world champion Samrat Rana teamed up with Olympian and defending champion Esha Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. The Indian duo fought hard but lost 10-16 in the gold medal match to China’s formidable pair Kai Hu and Qianxun Yao, ranked world numbers one and two, respectively.
Esha and Samrat had dominated the qualification round, finishing top with a combined score of 586, both shooting identical 293s. Another Indian team of Suruchi and Shravan Kumar finished eighth with a total of 579.
Despite their valiant effort, the Chinese duo proved too strong in the final rounds. Esha, who won this event with Shiva Narwal in the previous World Championships, had to settle for silver this time. For Rana, the medal capped a remarkable debut world campaign, having already won two golds and one silver in Cairo.
India’s Medal Tally at ISSF World Championships 2025
With Aishwary’s silver and the mixed pistol team’s success, India retained second place in the overall medal standings, behind China.
- India’s Total: 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 3 Bronze
- China’s Total: 8 Gold, 14 Overall
India’s consistent showing has reaffirmed its status as a global shooting powerhouse, setting the tone ahead of the 2026 Paris Olympics.