Grenada’s Las Gabias Shooting Range witnessed a standout moment for Indian shooting as Sainyam notched her best-ever finish at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol leg. The young star, a former junior world and Asian champion, grabbed fifth in the women’s 10m air pistol final with 178.9 points, just a day before the competition’s conclusion.
Palak, the reigning Asian Games titleholder in the event, reached the final but settled for seventh. Out after 14 shots at 137.9, she showed promise but couldn’t sustain the momentum. Gold went to China’s Shen Yiyao with a stellar 244.2.
Qualification saw Sainyam dominate with 582 for third among 83 shooters, while Palak’s 577 secured seventh and a finals berth.
Shifting to men’s events, Vijayveer Sidhu, Tokyo Olympian, spearheaded India in 25m rapid-fire pistol with 576 for 23rd place. Ankur Goel (572, 29th) and Neeraj Kumar (565, 40th) trailed but kept the challenge alive.
In women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, hopes faded early. Surbhi Bhardwaj Rapole and Anjum Moudgil scored 587 each for 18th and 19th, Ayushi Poddar hit 585 for 27th—short of the 589 needed for top eight.
Friday’s precision stage in men’s rapid-fire pistol had Ankur Goel leading Indians at 289, Vijayveer at 287, and Neeraj at 282, setting up an intriguing Saturday rapid round.
This World Cup outing boosts India’s medal aspirations, with Sainyam’s final appearance highlighting the depth of talent emerging from the country.
