India Wins First Shotgun Medal at ISSF World Cup 2025 with Bronze

Nicosia, Cyprus - Indian Olympian Kynan Chenai and 18-year-old Sabeera Haris have brought home the country's first-ever shotgun medal at this year's ISSF World Cups, winning bronze in the trap mixed team event.

The triumph marks a milestone for Indian shooting, following a drought since the Buenos Aires meet earlier in the year, where both the trap and skeet contingents failed to secure medals. On Sunday, Chenai and Haris edged out Turkish pair Rumeysa Pelin Kaya and Tolga Tuncer 34-33 in a closely contested match, securing their place on the podium.

Chenai's impeccable performance led from the front, nailing 23 of his 25 shots in the final, while Haris chipped in with 11 hits out of 25, proving crucial at several stages. Despite trailing 21-20 earlier, Chenai's spotless 10-hit finish proved decisive.

India had a strong start to their Nicosia meet, finishing fourth in the qualification round with a combined score of 142, behind Poland and China, who went on to secure spots in the gold medal match. Haris scored 72 while Chenai hit 70 points individually.

Poland won the gold medal, while China secured silver. The Nicosia event featured 350 shooters from 54 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and will see individual winners qualify for the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha later this year.

Indian shooting stars including two-time Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Asian Games silver medallist Rajeshwari Kumari, and Paris 2024 mixed skeet team semi-finalist Maheshwari Chauhan, unfortunately failed to secure medals in Nicosia.

The next ISSF World Cup for shotgun shooters will take place in Lonato, Italy, in July. India's pistol and rifle shooters, meanwhile, will be competing at the ISSF World Cup Munich in Germany later this month.