Indian Rifle Shooter Nischal Wins Silver at ISSF World Cup
Teenage Indian rifle shooter Nischal clinches silver in her debut senior World Cup final, contributing to India’s two-medal finish at the tournament.

Indian teenage rifle shooter Nischal achieved a remarkable silver medal in the Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol stage, marking India’s second medal on the tournament’s final day.
Nischal’s achievement is particularly commendable as this was her very first appearance in a senior World Cup final. She secured the silver medal with a score of 458.0, trailing behind Norwegian Rifle expert Jeanette Hegg Duestad.
Duestad is a prominent figure in the shooting world, holding titles such as the Air Rifle European Champion and 300m 3P World Champion. She has amassed an impressive collection of 12 ISSF World Cup medals, including five golds, and also participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
Nischal, in her first senior year and with three international medals at the junior level, demonstrated exceptional shooting skills throughout the day. She even broke the national record in Women’s 3P qualification. Reflecting on her achievement, the teenager remarked, “It is my first World Cup final, and I have a medal, so I am very happy about that,” after a strenuous day of competition.
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The journey began with elimination rounds in the morning, resulting in 18 shooters being eliminated out of a total of 73 competitors. Nischal performed impressively in the qualification rounds, securing a solid score of 592, including a perfect 200 in the prone position. This score surpassed the previous national record held by Anjum Moudgil. Anjum, despite shooting a commendable 586, finished 10th and missed the final by just one point. Ayushi Podder, another Indian shooter, finished 35th with a score of 580.
The final featured a stellar field, including top performers like Duestad, the qualification leader Wanru Miao of China, and others. Nischal showed great composure in the final, consistently competing with Duestad. Despite the challenges, she secured the silver medal.
Gurpreet Singh also participated in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event but finished 15th with a score of 574.
With one gold and one silver medal, the 16-member Indian contingent had a successful outing at the Rio World Cup, securing seventh place in the standings, considering India’s limited participation in the event. Elavenil Valarivan had previously won the Women’s 10m Air Rifle gold.
Earlier in the week, two other Indian shooters narrowly missed reaching the finals. Reigning Asian Games champion Rahi Sarnobat missed the Women’s 25m Pistol final due to fewer shots in the inner 10-ring, while Chain Singh missed the Men’s 3P final by just one point.