Indian para shooter Bhakti Sharma rewrote the Junior Qualification World Record before claiming bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 (P2) at the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) World Championships in Changwon, South Korea, on September 12.
Sharma scored 565 in qualification, setting a new junior mark, before producing 213.1 in the final to finish third. Iran’s Faezeh Ahmadi won gold with 238.3, while compatriot Nasrin Shahi Samakhoun took silver with 233.7.
Sharma’s performance also contributed to India’s team silver alongside Shrishti Arora and Sumedha Pathak.
Record Before World Podium
Sharma’s achievement in Changwon stands out because the record came before the medal. Her qualification score of 565 established a new Junior Qualification World Record in the P2 event. However, the qualification rankings did not immediately suggest that she would finish on the individual podium. Sharma placed sixth, one position behind fellow Indian Shrishti Arora, who scored 566.
The final produced a significant turnaround. Sharma shot 213.1 to finish third and secure the bronze medal. Ahmadi dominated the final with 238.3, while Shahi Samakhoun took silver with 233.7.
Arora, the other Indian finalist, finished fifth. The contrast between Sharma’s qualification position and her final standing makes the result particularly noteworthy: she moved from sixth after qualification to third when the medals were decided.
From Record To Medal
The result also adds to Sharma’s record-setting history in Changwon. At the 2024 WSPS World Cup in the same city, she had already established junior records in the P2 event, scoring 559 in qualification and 234.2 in the final. The official 2024 results book records both performances as new junior marks at the time.
Her latest performance therefore represents another step in a progression that has seen her repeatedly challenge junior benchmarks. This time, the record was followed by a podium finish at the World Championships, one of the biggest stages in international para shooting.
India Adds Team Silver
Sharma’s individual bronze was accompanied by another medal for India. She joined Shrishti Arora and Sumedha Pathak to produce a combined team score of 1690, earning India the silver medal. Iran won team gold with 1707, while China took bronze.
The team result adds another dimension to Sharma’s campaign. Her individual performance was part of a wider Indian effort in the event, with Arora also reaching the individual final and Pathak narrowly missing out on the top eight. Sharma’s record-setting qualification consequently formed part of a strong collective showing rather than standing alone.
The Changwon championships are being held from September 10 to 15, bringing together leading para shooters from across the world. The competition also forms part of the international pathway towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, increasing the significance of performances at the event.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Sharma’s Changwon performance is significant because it shows two different aspects of sporting development coming together: record-setting consistency and the ability to deliver under final-round pressure. A strong qualification score alone does not guarantee a medal, but Sharma followed her junior world record with a podium finish when the competition intensified.
For Indian para shooting, such performances also point to the value of nurturing athletes who can progress from junior records to senior international podiums. Sharma’s bronze should therefore be viewed alongside the record that preceded it, rather than as an isolated result.
The larger takeaway is that para sport is increasingly producing athletes capable of challenging established international benchmarks while competing for medals on the biggest stages. How can India build on performances like Sharma’s and create even stronger pathways for its next generation of para shooters?
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