SHOOTING STRAIGHT: Indian marksmen bang on target in ISSF World Cup

The depth in Indian shooting and results being produced are in sync. After the highs of the Paris 2024 Olympics, where India won three medals through Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh (both air pistol) and Swapnil Kusale (3 position, rifle), people started asking if India could keep repeating these performances. It is a valid question, since fans wants to keep seeing good results. Unlike cricket, which is seen on TV and apps non-stop, shooting is less viewed in pure numbers. Take for example the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Even though it was to go live on YouTube, there was a glitch. The Indian team travelled well in advance to Argentina, as the jet lag was massive. It allowed the shooters to settle down and adjust to the conditions in the range, very different type of food and a rich shooting field.

Of course, in some events, the number of countries participating was not high. India can take pride from the fact Rudrankksh Patil fought his way to a gold medal in air rifle. For those who had followed the journey of the shooter from Maharashtra, he was peaking a year before the Paris Olympics. Yet, the stringent qualification criteria laid down by the National Rifle Association of India (NRA), wherein four trials were held last year in the summer heat in New Delhi and Bhopal meant, only those who did well in the trial had a better chance. Rudrankksh was dealing with a few health issues, serious in nature, which did not permit him to do well. So, when he missed the bus for Paris, he was disappointed.

A new year, and a new set of trials held by the NRAI, the same young Rudrankksh bounced back. Winning a gold medal in the first ISSF World Cup of 2025, he was happy. Asked to explain reasons for the success and consistent results from the rifle shooters, national coach Deepali Deshpande fired a reply, point blank. “I have been with Rudrankksh, Sift Kaur Samra, who also won a gold, and others. They are talented and work hard. My job is to ensure they are in the right frame of mind,” Deepali told One Turf News from Buenos Aires.

According to her, the Indians know how to handle pressure. A decade back, one could have said, Indian athletes lack killer instinct. You cannot say that today. “Having worked with so many shooters, boys and girls, I can tell you one thing, the mindset has changed. Nobody today fears Chinese shooters. Earlier, they would ask me, ‘ye Chinese kya khaatien hai.’ said Deepali. It was a reference to what kind of food the Chinese eat. “I told them it has nothing to do with eating, just go and compete hard and don’t worry what the field is like. Today, the Indian shooters are fearless, I will ensure they keep staying calm. As for Sift and Rudrankksh, I know them very well,” she said. In January, Deepali Deshpande was bestowed the Dronacharya Award.

In pistol events as well, the results have been encouraging, though Manu Bhaker not winning a medal may be surprising to many. Last week, 2008 Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra had told this writer, India can produce more shooters like Manu Bhaker if they slog hard. His words have been prophetic. Young Esha Singh won a silver medal in sports pistol, and Manu Bhaker could finish sixth. But what has caught the attention of one and all is Suruchi Singh winning a gold medal in air pistol on Tuesday.

Like Manu, Suruchi also hails from Jhajjar district in Haryana and has been very consistent in the Nationals, the selection trials and now the World Cup. A maiden World Cup gold medal is a big achievement. She has been training in Haryana, but during her competition in Buenos Aires, Om Prakash was seated behind her. “I saw her shoot, she has been very calm and consistent. It is this kind of a mindset which is needed,” said Jaspal Rana, India’s high-performance pistol coach.

There was more joy for India in the rapid-fire pistol event when Vijayveer Sidhu won a gold medal. Vijayveer is a quiet boy who does not talk too much. Yet, he was overjoyed on Tuesday, when he said he had been shooting for a while alongside Anish Bhanwal and his coach Gurpreet Singh, an Armyman, who is coach cum shooter. These medals for India are important, with the next stop in Lima, Peru.