India finished first at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany, with an impressive haul of 24 medals, including seven gold, eight silver and nine bronze, showcasing the country’s growing dominance and exceptional depth in junior international shooting.
India delivered a remarkable performance at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany, finishing at the top of the medal standings with an outstanding collection of 24 medals, including seven gold, eight silver and nine bronze. The exceptional campaign once again highlighted India’s growing strength in international junior shooting and reaffirmed the country’s position as one of the world’s leading shooting nations.
India’s impressive run began with a golden start as Sejal Kamble captured the 10m Air Pistol Women Junior individual title. Fellow Indian shooter Himanshi added a bronze medal in the same event, giving the contingent an early advantage. Soon after, Sejal teamed up with Vanshika Choudhary and Navya Bishnoi to secure another gold medal in the women’s team competition, setting the tone for a memorable championship.
The Indian shooters maintained their momentum throughout the tournament with consistent podium finishes across rifle and pistol disciplines. Sameer claimed gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior event, while Rohit Kanyan emerged victorious in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior competition. Prachi Gaikwad earned a silver medal in the women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, while India’s men’s teams collected bronze medals in both the 50m Rifle 3 Positions and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol competitions.
India’s medal tally continued to grow with Anvii Rathod winning bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Women Junior event. Pritam Kendre then delivered another gold-winning performance in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior category. The Indian teams also secured bronze medals in the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team and 25m Pistol Men Junior Team events, further strengthening India’s lead in the overall standings.
The 10m Air Pistol Men Junior event produced another memorable performance for India as Shiva Narwal won silver while Yug Pratap Singh Rathore secured bronze. Narwal later combined with Sandeep Bishnoi and Chirag Sharma to win silver in the team competition before partnering with Vanshika Choudhary to earn another silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
One of the strongest phases of India’s campaign came during the closing stages of the championship. Abhinav Deshwal clinched 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 women’s competition, Shaurya Dilip Bharne claimed silver, while Riya Duggal added a bronze medal.
On the final day, Raj Chandra earned bronze in the 50m Pistol Men Junior event. Yogesh Kumar, Prateek, and Abhinav Choudhary combined to win silver in the team event, while Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur secured an individual silver in the 50m Pistol Women Junior competition, mathematically ensuring India finished at the top of the championship medal table.
Praising the team’s achievement, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), said topping the medal tally for two consecutive editions of the World Championship reflected the success of India’s grassroots development programmes and the country’s growing depth of shooting talent across individual, mixed and team events.
NRAI Secretary General Pawankumar Singh also commended the athletes for performing under pressure in the highly competitive conditions at Suhl. He credited the coaches, support staff and families for their contribution while expressing confidence that many of these young shooters would successfully transition into India’s senior squad in the coming years.
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India’s dominant finish with **24 medals—seven gold, eight silver and nine bronze—not only crowned the nation as the overall champion of the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 but also reinforced its reputation as a global powerhouse in junior shooting. The outstanding performances across multiple disciplines underline the country’s bright future in international shooting and provide strong momentum ahead of upcoming global competitions.
