A stunned yet elated Samrat Rana struggled to find words after becoming the first Indian pistol shooter to win a gold medal in an Olympic discipline at the ISSF World Championships on Monday.
The 20-year-old from Karnal produced a sensational performance in the men’s 10m air pistol event, shooting 243.7 in a nerve-wracking final to claim the top spot ahead of China’s Hu Kai.
“I still can’t believe it,” said an emotional Rana moments after his victory. “I think it’s a happy hunting ground for me. I won two medals here in Cairo at the junior world championships in 2022. I like the ambience. I was just trying to focus on my technique in every shot towards the end.”
Rana, who has been coached by his father since 2018, displayed nerves of steel in a final where the lead changed hands multiple times among him, Hu Kai, and fellow Indian Varun Tomar. A single shot decided the outcome, with Rana edging past the Chinese shooter by just 0.4 points.
Adding to India’s historic day, Varun Tomar clinched the bronze medal with a score of 221.7. The 21-year-old from Baghpat, a cousin of Olympic pistol ace Saurabh Chaudhary, showed remarkable composure throughout the final. His performance not only underscored India’s growing dominance in pistol shooting but also made it the first time two Indian shooters stood on the podium in the same event at the World Championships.
Earlier, Rana had topped the qualification round with an outstanding score of 586, narrowly ahead of Tomar, who matched his total but had fewer inner 10s. The duo, along with Shravan Kumar, also combined to secure the team gold for India with a total of 1754.
The young marksman’s triumph marks a major milestone for Indian shooting, as it is the first time two Indian shooters-Rana and Tomar-have won medals in the same event at the World Championships.
For Rana, the victory was also a personal redemption. Having missed qualification for the ISSF World Cup final in Ningbo by a whisker earlier this year, he returned stronger and more determined in Cairo. “I just kept reminding myself to stay calm and trust my process,” he said. “It feels unreal to finally see it all come together.”