Shooting
ISSF World Cup Ningbo: Meghana Sajjanar bags maiden bronze, Swapnil Kusale bows out
Esha Singh’s gold and Meghana Sajjanar’s bronze were the only two medals for India at this final leg of the ISSF World Cup.
Meghana Sajjanar secured her first-ever individual international medal by winning bronze at the ISSF World Cup Ningbo (Photo credit: File photo)
Meghana Sajjanar secured her first-ever individual international medal by winning bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2025 in Ningbo, China, on Sunday.
With Sajjanar’s podium finish, India concluded the tournament with two medals.
A day earlier, Esha Singh had claimed gold in the women’s 10m air pistol, ensuring India’s strong presence at the year’s final World Cup for rifle and pistol shooters.
The 31-year-old Sajjanar advanced to the medal round after finishing seventh in qualifying with a score of 632.6. In the final, despite a shaky start, she regained composure to shoot 230.0 and clinch bronze.
China’s teenager Peng Xinlu stole the spotlight by setting a new world record of 255.3 to win gold, while Norway’s Olympian Jeanette Hegg Duestad earned silver with 252.6.
Meanwhile, India’s Paris 2024 bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale endured a tough outing in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions, finishing 21st with 587-30x and missing the final. His compatriot Kiran Ankush Jadhav qualified in fourth place (590-31x) but exited early in the final round.
Except for Esha, Meghana, and Kiran, no other Indian shooters advanced to the finals at Ningbo. Notably, Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker did not participate in the event.
