ISSF Junior World Cup 2025: India Claims Gold and Silver in 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team, Italy Wins Double Gold in Skeet

India secures a 1-2 finish in 10m air pistol mixed team event, while Italy dominates skeet finals with gold medals in both men’s and women’s categories at the ISSF Junior World Cup in New Delhi.

India delivered a stellar performance at the ISSF Junior World Cup as the host nation clinched a 1-2 finish in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Junior event, reinforcing its dominance at the ongoing international competition being held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup, which began on September 24, 2025, features Under-21 age category competitions across rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines.

On Day 3 of the championship, the Indian pair of Kapil and Rashmika Sahgal triumphed in the gold medal match with a 16-10 win over fellow Indians Jonathan Gavin Antony and Vanshika Chaudhary, earning India its third gold medal of the competition. This 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event involves male and female shooters partnering together and competing in a head-to-head format, where each series of shots earns team points, with the first team to 16 points winning the match.

In the bronze medal match, Spain's Ines Castro Ortega and Lucas Sanchez Tome edged past Iran's Parimah Amiri and Mohammadreza Ahmadi with a tight 16-14 victory, securing third place.

Meanwhile, Italy showcased their strength in the skeet shooting discipline, bagging two gold medals in both the junior men’s and women’s skeet finals. Skeet shooting is a shotgun discipline where athletes aim to hit clay targets launched at high speed from two fixed stations at varying angles.

In the junior men’s skeet final, Italy’s Marco Coco led the way with a dominant performance. After a strong qualification round score of 122, he maintained form in the final by hitting 56 out of 60 targets to claim gold. Finland’s Lassi Akseli Matias Kauppinen followed closely with 53 hits to secure silver, while Cyprus’s Andreas Pontikis took the bronze with 43 hits.

India had two finalists in this event – Harmehar Singh Lally and Atul Singh Rajawat – who finished fourth and fifth with 35 and 25 hits, respectively. The Netherlands' Ryan Kooijman completed the field in sixth place with 14 hits.

In the women’s skeet final, Arianna Nember of Italy, who previously won silver at the World Championship, delivered a masterclass by hitting 53 targets to earn gold. India’s Olympian Raiza Dhillon provided stiff competition and finished with 51 hits, earning a silver medal. Reigning Asian Champion Mansi Raghuwanshi claimed the bronze with 41 hits, after having topped the qualification round with 117 hits – the best among all competitors.

The final also saw participation from the USA’s 14-year-old Chloe Chaleunsinh, who finished fourth with 32 hits. Kseniia Shuliak, competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete – a designation often given to athletes not competing under a national flag due to geopolitical or eligibility reasons – finished fifth with 22 hits, while India’s Agrima Kanwar concluded the lineup with 13 hits.

The 11th edition of the ISSF Junior World Cup is being held in India for the first time, bringing together 208 shooters from 19 national federations. Participating countries include shooting powerhouses like the United States, Italy, Czechia, Iran, Croatia, Great Britain, UAE, Slovakia, Qatar, Spain, and New Zealand, along with a contingent of 40 Individual Neutral Athletes.

The main competition, which commenced on September 25, will continue until October 2, 2025. With strong performances in both precision (pistol/rifle) and shotgun events, India currently leads the overall medal tally, affirming the country’s growing prowess in the global shooting sport arena.

This championship not only highlights the emerging talents from across the globe but also serves as a critical platform for junior shooters under 21 to gain international exposure and experience ahead of future senior-level competitions, including the World Championships and Olympic Games.