ISSF Junior World Cup 2026 Kicks Off in Cairo With Strong Indian Participation

The ISSF Junior World Cup 2026 is set to start in Cairo, Egypt and the start of the international shooting season for the young athletes. The tournament was hosted at the Egypt International Olympic City and this competition will see the top junior shooters from all around the world competing across the rifle, pistol and shotgun events. India has fielded the strong 71-member contingent in the global shooting event.

ISSF Junior World Cup 2026 Kicks Off in Cairo

This tournament is organized by the International Shooting Sport Federation and will begin with the multiple events on the opening day.

Competition will start with the,

• 25m pistol precision stages for men and women and will be followed by the skeet events with 75 targets for both categories.

The first medal events of the day includes the,

• 10m Air Rifle Women and 10m Air Pistol Men which set the tone for the action-packed tournament.

India’s Strong Contingent and Participation

India has sent the 71-member team with the 58 athletes already arrived in Cairo along with support staff.

This large contingent reflects the India’s commitment to nurturing young talent and maintain the position as the global powerhouse in shooting sports.

The participation across the multiple categories also increases the India’s chances of securing the medals in various disciplines.

Key Indian Athletes in 10m Air Rifle Women Event

India has fielded the six shooters in the 10m Air Rifle Women category and which is led by Shambhavi Kshirsagar an Asian junior record holder and ISSF World Cup champion.

She is joined by,

• Anushka Thokur the Asian champion in 50m rifle 3 positions and along with emerging talents Manyata Singh, Aneesha Sharma, Anvii Rathod and Panaah Bhugra.
• This lineup combines the experience and youth and making India as the strong contender in the event.

Indian Line-Up in 10m Air Pistol Men Event

The 10m Air Pistol Men event will also feature the six Indian shooters and led by the by Shiva Narwal who is the former junior world champion and world championship gold medallist.

He will be competing in international level after the gap of three years.

Other participants include,

• Abhinav Deshwal, Abhinav Choudhary, Abhay Dhama, Himanshu Rana and Chirag Sharma and it represent the mix of experienced and young shooters.

Competition Schedule and Key Events

The qualification rounds will begin at the 12:30 IST and it is followed by the 10m Air Rifle Women qualification and final.

Later in the day the 10m Air Pistol Men event will also take place and with the final scheduled in the evening.