India has emerged as the top-performing nation at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026 in Suhl, Germany, with a total haul of 24 medals. The Indian team secured 7 gold, 8 silver, and 9 bronze medals, showcasing their dominance in the championship. The campaign began on a strong note with Sejal Kamble winning the individual gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Women Junior event, while Himanshi secured the bronze medal in the same event.
The trio of Sejal Kamble, Vanshika Choudhary, and Navya Bishnoi then claimed gold in the corresponding Team event, giving India an early lead in the championship. India’s momentum continued throughout the championship, with Sameer winning gold in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior event and Rohit Kanyan emerging victorious in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior competition. Prachi Gaikwad added a silver medal in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women Junior event, while India secured bronze medals in both the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior Team and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men Junior Team events.
Anvii Rathod claimed bronze in the 10m Air Rifle Women Junior event, followed by a masterful performance from Pritam Kendre, who clinched gold in the 10m Air Rifle Men Junior event. India also won bronze medals in the 25m Pistol Women Junior Team and 25m Pistol Men Junior Team events, further solidifying its position at the top of the standings. In the 10m Air Pistol Men Junior category, Shiva Narwal won silver and Yug Pratap Singh Rathore secured bronze in a spectacular double-podium finish.
Narwal then teamed up with Sandeep Bishnoi and Chirag Sharma to earn silver in the Team event, before partnering with Vanshika Chaudhary to secure another silver in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team discipline. One of India’s strongest performances came in the closing stages of the championship, with Abhinav Deshwal winning gold in the 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior event. Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Abhinav Shaw captured gold in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior competition, while India also secured silver in the 25m Standard Pistol Men Junior Team event.
On the final day of competition, Raj Chandra won bronze in the 50m Pistol Men Junior event, while Yogesh Kumar, Prateek, and Abhinav Choudhary combined for a silver in the Team event. Aishwarya Ravichandra Balehosur rounded off the stellar campaign with a hard-fought individual silver medal in the 50m Pistol Women Junior event, mathematically sealing India’s position at the top of the world.
