India’s shooting contingent made a strong impact at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires, with Sift Kaur Samra clinching gold in the Women’s 50m Rifle Three Positions and Chain Singh securing bronze in the Men’s event — opening India’s medal account at the competition.
Sift, the 23-year-old Paris Olympian, delivered a composed and clinical performance in the final, winning her first World Cup gold with a score of 458.6. Germany’s Anita Mangold won the silver with 455.3 (587), while Kazakhstan’s Arina Altukhova took the bronze with 445.9 (588).
Sift made a remarkable comeback from 8th place after the Kneeling and Prone positions. Despite starting from a lower rank, she turned the match around with a stellar performance in the final Standing position, which allowed her to pull ahead and secure the top spot. Her impressive qualification score of 590, the highest of the competition, demonstrated her exceptional form leading up to the final.
Ashi Chouksey finished 17th with a score of 579, while Shriyanka Sadangi shot 572 to finish 22nd.
Two more Indians Manini Kaushik (582) and Nischal (576) participated in the RPO category.
Chain Singh Wins Bronze in Men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions
India’s Chain Singh marked a strong comeback to the ISSF podium after three years, securing bronze in the Men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions event. The 35-year-old Olympian fought hard in the final, finishing with a score of 443.7 (589). Three-time Olympian Istvan Peni of Hungary won the gold with 461.0 (587), while China’s Tian Jiaming took the silver with 458.8 (586), earning his first-ever World Cup medal.
Earlier in the qualification round, India displayed its depth in rifle shooting, with all three Indian shooters—Chain Singh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Niraj Kumar—making the final. Tomar, a two-time Olympian, had qualified second with 589, while Chain Singh followed closely in third with the same score (589), losing out on the second spot due to fewer inner 10s. Niraj Kumar also put up a solid show, finishing fifth in qualification with 587.
In the final, Niraj Kumar made a strong start, briefly sitting second after the Kneeling position, but his performance dipped in the later stages. The battle for a medal came down to Chain Singh and Tomar, both of whom made an excellent comeback from fifth and sixth place after a stellar performance in the Prone position. However, Tomar’s hopes for a podium finish ended with a costly 7.8 on his 41st shot, dropping him to fourth place with 432.6 (589).