ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025 Held in Cairo, Egypt

The ISSF World Championship Rifle/Pistol 2025 was held from 6 to 18 November 2025 in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Organised by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), this major international event saw the participation of 720 shooters from 70 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). Competitions were held in both individual and team rifle and pistol events, attracting top marksmen and women from across the world.

India’s Strong Performance

India put up a commendable performance, finishing third in the overall medal tally with a total of 13 medals — 3 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze. This marked a significant rise in India’s stature in global shooting competitions. The gold medals for India came from Samrat Rana in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol, Ravinder Singh in the Men’s 50m Standard Pistol, and the Men’s 10m Air Pistol Team.

Among the silver medalists, Anish Bhanwala stood out for his performance in the Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, where he scored 28 hits in the final and became the first Indian individual pistol shooter to win a medal in an Olympic event at the ISSF World Championships. Other silver winners included Gurpreet Singh in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions, and Esha Singh in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol. Additional silver medals came from team and mixed events involving shooters like Samrat Rana.

Bronze medals for India were earned by Esha Singh again in her individual 10m air pistol event, Elavenil Valarivan in the 10m Air Rifle, Varun Tomar in the 10m Air Pistol, and the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Team.

Global Medal Tally and Top Performers

China topped the medal table with 21 medals, including 12 golds, followed by South Korea with 14 medals, of which 7 were gold, and India stood third with 13. Notably, Switzerland and Norway followed close behind, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

World Records Set at the Event

The championship also witnessed several world records. Germany’s Jacob Hoffman set a new world record in the Men’s Target Sprint event. Poland’s Tomasz Bartnik equalled the world record in the Men’s 300m Rifle 3 Positions. China’s Yao Qianxun won the first gold medal of the event while setting a new world record in the Women’s 50m Pistol. Additionally, the Chinese Men’s 50m Rifle Prone Team set a new world record with a combined team score of 1881.3.

About the ISSF and Its History

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) was established in 1907 and is currently headquartered in Munich, Germany. The ISSF governs international shooting competitions across rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines. The first edition of the ISSF World Shooting Championships was held in Lyon, France in 1897, originally featuring rifle events. The last combined ISSF World Championship, including all three shooting categories, was held in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2023. The rifle and pistol events have since been organised as a separate championship, with the inaugural edition taking place in 2022, also in Cairo, Egypt.