In a thrilling climax to the 41st World Cup Final in New Delhi, India’s Akhil Sheoran clinched a bronze medal in the 50m 3 Positions rifle event. With a clutch 10.7 shot in the final round, Sheoran secured a podium finish, overcoming a fourth-place position.
Sheoran’s victory was a testament to his composure and determination. Despite a challenging year marked by an accident and missed Olympic qualification, he remained focused on his goal. After a promising start to the year with a bronze at the Cairo World Cup and an Asian Championships title, Sheoran’s preparations were derailed by an injury.
Undeterred, Sheoran used the World Cup Final as an opportunity to showcase his resilience. He qualified for the eight-man final in sixth position and gradually moved up the ranks. In the Standing series, his favorite, he rose from mid-table to the top three.
Hungary’s Istvan Peni, the eventual gold medalist, dominated the competition from start to finish. However, Sheoran’s bronze medal was a significant achievement, giving him a boost of confidence as he begins preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In the 25m pistol final, Rhythm Sangwan narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth. Despite strong support from the home crowd, Sangwan faltered in a third-place shoot-off against China’s Feng Sixuan. Germany’s Josefin Eder won gold, while France’s Camille Jedrzejewski took silver.
China currently leads the medal tally with four gold and three bronze, followed by Germany (1 gold, 2 silver) and France (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze).
