- Anushka Thokur, Anshika, and Aadhya Agrawal swept the podium in the women’s 50m rifle prone event
- Anushka followed up her Asian Championships gold with another top finish at the Junior World Cup
- The New Delhi leg features 208 shooters from 19 countries, including 69 Indians
Indian shooters made a commanding start at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 held in New Delhi at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges on Thursday. The women's 50m rifle prone event swept all three medals, whereas the men's category secured two medals on the opening day.
Leading the charge was 18-year-old Anushka Thokur, who continued her fine run of form after her junior gold at the Asian Championships in Kazakhstan. She shot a superb 621.6 (series: 104.0, 103.6, 103.8, 102.2, 105.0, 103.0) to clinch the gold medal.
Her compatriot Anshika, also 18, followed closely with 619.2 (series: 103.2, 103.4, 101.9, 101.6, 104.7, 104.4) to take silver, while 20-year-old Aadhya Agrawal bagged bronze with a tally of 615.9 (series: 102.6, 102.8, 101.7, 104.8, 101.8, 102.2). The performance underlined India’s growing depth in shooting talent, even in the non-Olympic discipline.
The men’s 50m rifle prone event also saw India open their account with two podium finishes. Deependra Singh Shekhawat secured silver with an aggregate of 617.9, while Rohit Kanyan claimed bronze with 616.3, both registering their maiden international medals.
The ISSF Junior World Cup 2025, organized in two legs in Suhl, Germany (May 19-27) and New Delhi (September 24-October 2), features rifle, pistol, and shotgun events across men’s, women’s, and mixed team categories. While Suhl hosted 638 athletes from 59 nations, the New Delhi leg has drawn 208 shooters from 19 countries, including 69 from India. Live streaming and real-time results are available on the ISSF’s official platforms.
