Rudrankksh Patil of Maharashtra delivered an electrifying performance at the 67th National Shooting Championship, posting a stunning score of 254.9 in the Junior Men’s 10m Air Rifle to win the gold. Using his Feinwerkbau 900 Alu rifle, Rudrankksh surpassed the senior world record held by Olympic champion Sheng Lihao of China by 0.4 points. Sheng, also a Feinwerkbau user, set the record earlier this year at the Munich World Cup.
The final, held at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal, saw Rudrankksh in exceptional form. Despite a modest second shot of 10.0, he consistently fired above 10.3, showcasing his precision. This flawless shooting secured him a dominant victory, leaving silver medalist Abishek Sekhar of Karnataka trailing by 3.5 points, while Haryana’s Himanshu claimed the bronze.
Though Rudrankksh’s score won’t be ratified as an official world record due to ISSF’s criteria, which restricts recognition to select international events, it was a performance that left spectators in awe.
This achievement follows a tough period for Rudrankksh, who narrowly missed out on a spot for the Paris Olympics. Despite his outstanding track record, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) selected the top two performers, Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta, based on average scores from the Olympic Selection Trials. Rudrankksh, who finished just 0.3 points behind Arjun and 1.4 points behind Sandeep, missed out on a spot in the 15-member squad. He had appealed to the NRAI to consider past performances in the selection process.
At just 21, Rudrankksh has already made his mark in Indian shooting history. In 2022, he became only the second Indian, after Abhinav Bindra, to win gold at the World Championship in Cairo. His collection of four World Cup medals in the past two years, alongside his recent triumphs, continues to inspire the next generation of Indian shooters.