New Delhi, April 11 – Sainyam, a former junior world and Asian champion, achieved her best performance at an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol leg, scoring 178.9 in the women's 10m air pistol final on the penultimate day of competitions at the Las Gabias Shooting Range in Granada, Spain, to claim a creditable fifth place on Saturday.
The reigning Asian Games champion, Palak, also made the final and finished seventh, exiting after the 14th shot of the 24-shot final with a score of 137.9. China's Shen Yiyao won the gold with a score of 244.2.
Sainyam scored 582 in qualification to take third place in the field of 83 shooters, while Palak finished eighth, scoring 577.
In the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol, Olympian Vijayveer Sidhu achieved the best Indian finish, his score of 576 giving him 23rd place overall. Among other Indian medal contenders, Ankur Goel finished 29th with a score of 572, and Neeraj Kumar finished 40th with a score of 565.
All three Indian shooters in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) competition at the ongoing ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Granada, Spain, could not progress beyond the qualification stage. Surabhi Bharadwaj Rapole and Olympian Anjum Moudgil scored 587 each to finish in 18th and 19th places, respectively.
Ayushi Podder scored 585 to finish 27th. The eighth and final qualification spot went to 589.
On Friday, Ankur Goel achieved the best Indian finish in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol (RFP) with a score of 289 after the first stage precision round. Olympian Vijayveer Sidhu scored 287, while Neeraj Kumar scored 282. The trio will return on Saturday for the second rapid-fire qualification stage, with the top eight progressing to the final.
The reigning Asian Games champion, Palak, will partner Mukesh Nelavalli in the 10m air pistol mixed team, the first event of the tournament, alongside Sainyam and Ujjwal Malik. In the second day's final, the air rifle mixed team will be represented by Sonam Uttam Maskar and Gajanan Shahdev Khandagale, and Shruti and Arshdeep Singh, respectively.
According to the selection policy, India has fielded shooters ranked between 4 and 6 in the domestic national rankings. The team remains a strong contender, with established names such as Akhil Sheoran, Anjum Moudgil, and Mehuli Ghosh, all world championship medalists, leading the lines, along with Simranpreet Kaur Brar, Rhythm Sangwan, and Vijayveer Sidhu, who won the gold medal at the Buenos Aires World Cup last year, providing further strength.
While some shooters have competed in continental competitions earlier in the year, for many, including those from powerhouse China, the Granada World Cup will be the international season opener. It is no wonder that they have entered the second-largest 22-member squad, including three of their reigning Olympic champions.