Indian shooter Niveditha Veloor Nair won individual bronze in the women’s 25m standard pistol event at the ISSF World Championship 2026 in Doha, Qatar, on November 8. She also helped India secure team silver alongside Manvi Jain and Simranpreet Kaur Brar, with the trio recording a combined score of 1,682-33x. China won team gold with a world-record score of 1,698-43x, while Hungary took bronze. The two medals increased India’s overall tally at the championship to seven, comprising one gold, five silver and one bronze.
Individual Bronze
Nair finished third in the women’s 25m standard pistol individual competition with a score of 567-13x. China’s Xiao Jiaruixuan secured gold with 569-10x, while Hungary’s Veronika Major won silver with 568-13x. Nair finished one point behind Major and two points behind Xiao.
According to the official ISSF results, Nair recorded 189 points in the 150-second stage, 193 in the 20-second stage and 185 in the 10-second stage. Her combined score placed her third among the competitors. Both Xiao and Major are individual Olympic medallists in the women’s 25m pistol discipline, according to reports published after the competition.
Her teammates Manvi Jain and Simranpreet Kaur Brar also competed in the individual event. Jain finished eighth with 560-10x, while Brar secured 10th place with 555-10x. Their performances also contributed to India’s team result.
ISSF World Championship: India’s Niveditha Veloor Nair bags #Bronze🥉medal in Women’s 25-metre standard pistol event in #Qatar. #Shooting #ISSF https://t.co/ytva75nLV0
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 9, 2026
Women’s Team Silver
Nair’s individual medal was accompanied by another podium finish for India in the team competition. The Indian women’s team, comprising Nair, Jain and Brar, secured silver with a combined score of 1,682-33x.
China dominated the competition, finishing first with 1,698-43x and setting a new world record. Hungary claimed the bronze medal with 1,676-30x. India’s second-place finish placed the trio ahead of Hungary in the final standings.
The result gave India two medals from the women’s 25m standard pistol competition. While Nair secured individual recognition, the team silver reflected the combined scores of all three Indian shooters.
India’s Medal Tally
The two medals won on November 8 took India’s overall tally at the Doha championship to seven, comprising one gold, five silver and one bronze.
India’s gold medal came in the men’s 50m pistol team event. Ravinder Singh also secured individual silver in the same discipline. In the women’s 10m air rifle team event, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Shambhavi Kshirsagar won silver.
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker also contributed to India’s medal count, winning silver alongside Suruchi Singh and Sainyam in the women’s 10m air pistol team event. Earlier, Jaypal Malviya claimed individual silver in the men’s 10m air pistol competition.
Malviya’s performance also secured India its first shooting quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The quota is particularly significant for India’s shooting campaign, as the championship offers 36 quota places across the 12 individual Olympic shooting categories.
Championship In Doha
The ISSF World Championship Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun 2026 is being held in Doha, Qatar, from November 1 to 14. The competition features international participation across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.
Nair’s medal-winning performance came in the women’s 25m standard pistol event, which is a non-Olympic discipline. It is important to distinguish this event from the women’s 25m pistol competition included in the Olympic programme.
Although the standard pistol event does not offer an Olympic quota, Nair’s podium finish adds to India’s medal count at the international championship. The Indian contingent also recorded a fourth-place finish in the men’s 25m standard pistol team competition.
In that event, Harsh Gupta finished fifth individually with 573-13x, while Udit Joshi secured 18th place with 562-13x and Jatin finished 28th with 559-5x. India finished fourth in the team standings, behind Latvia, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Niveditha Nair’s individual bronze and India’s women’s team silver highlight the importance of dedication, consistency and collective effort in sporting achievements. While individual recognition celebrates an athlete’s performance, team medals also acknowledge the contribution of every member working towards a shared goal.
India’s growing medal count at international shooting competitions should encourage sustained investment in sporting infrastructure, quality coaching and opportunities for emerging athletes. Recognising achievements across both Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines is equally important in building a wider sporting culture. Beyond celebrating medals, how can India strengthen support for young shooters and help more athletes represent the country at international competitions?
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