NEW DELHI: Indian shooting continued to cement its status as one of the country’s most reliable medal-winning sports in a year that delivered success across disciplines and generations, led by breakthrough campaigns from Suruchi Singh and Samrat Rana. With medals flowing at World Cups, world championships and elite finals, the season underlined both the depth of talent and the sport’s growing footprint beyond traditional centres.
Shooting’s rise as a consistent medal grosser has been fuelled by its increasing popularity in small towns, creating a steady pipeline of young athletes driven by Olympic ambition. The year’s momentum began in Buenos Aires, where India won four gold, two silver and two bronze medals, with teenage pistol shooter Suruchi announcing herself on the world stage. It proved a sign of things to come.
By season’s end, the 19-year-old from Jhajjar had collected four World Cup gold medals and topped it off with a gold at the elite World Cup Final in Doha, establishing herself as the standout performer of the year. Alongside her, Samrat Rana’s stunning rise in men’s air pistol further illustrated how Indian shooting’s centre of gravity is steadily shifting.
The rise of Suruchi
The daughter of a Havildar, Suruchi has emerged as a genuine long-term prospect for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Her performances this year reflected the strides she has made since breaking through nationally in 2022, following which she won seven medals at the 2024 National Championships.
The consistency of her results pushed her to world No.1 in the ISSF rankings, and with the LA qualification cycle set to begin next year, she appears well placed to secure an early Olympic quota.
Anish Bhanwala comes of age
While Suruchi dominated headlines, 25m rapid-fire pistol shooter Anish Bhanwala finally converted promise into podium finishes. Once hailed as a prodigy, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season, winning silver at the World Championships in Cairo before repeating the feat at the World Cup Final in Doha. His resurgence marked a significant step forward in one of India’s most demanding events.
Manu Bhaker overshadowed
The relentless rise of younger shooters meant that double Olympic bronze medallist Manu Bhaker endured a relatively subdued season by her standards. The 23-year-old’s best result was an individual air pistol silver at a World Cup, as she was outperformed by Suruchi, Simranpreet Kaur Brar and junior world champion Sainyam.
In between, there were multiple highlights, Samrat’s world title in Cairo, Simranpreet’s gold at the World Cup Final, Rudrankksh Patil’s consistency in air rifle and Varun Tomar’s podium finishes, as India challenged powerhouse China across events. Together, they made it a season that spoke not just of medals, but of a system coming into its own.