Doha, Nov 5 Fast-rising Jaypal Malviya secured India’s first quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with a breakthrough silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Championships here on Thursday, even as heavyweights Manu Bhaker and Suruchi Inder Singh failed to make the podium in the women’s competition.
Malviya shot 242.2 in the eight-man final to finish second and earn the coveted Olympic quota for India in shooting. China’s Kai Hu won gold with 243.9, while Czechia’s Jindrich Dubovy bagged bronze with 220.9.
The achievement provided a significant boost to India’s campaign at the championships, which are the first major shooting competition offering quota places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Earlier, Malviya had entered the final in third place after shooting 585 across six series in qualification.
The Indian had a mixed start to the final, shooting 9.2 on his second attempt of the opening five-shot series before recovering with a 10.6 on his final shot. He finished the first series with 50.5 points, occupying the third position behind leader Hu.
Malviya continued to remain in contention but slipped to fourth after completing his 10-shot series with a 10.8, taking his total to 100.0. Dubovy moved into third place with 100.5, while the Chinese duo of Hu and Yu Xie set the pace.
However, Malviya responded strongly with a 10.7, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. His fellow finalist Islam Shamsutdinov could not keep up with the pace and was eliminated.
Malviya then shot 10.7 as Hu managed 10.9, taking the Indian to second place and putting him just 0.5 points behind the Chinese shooter. The result also assured India its first shooting quota for the 2028 Olympics.
The Indian was subsequently assured of a medal, with just 0.1 points separating him from Hu, while Dubovy trailed by 1.8 points.
A 9.7 from Malviya threatened to derail his challenge, leaving him 0.9 points behind the leader. But he responded with a crucial 10.7, while Dubovy had to settle for bronze and an Olympic quota.
“The environment is great. The crowd was very loud and motivated me. I would like to thank the federation, SAI, OGQ and the MP and Indian government. I am grateful to Samaresh Jung sir. I feel great that I could bring the quota and medal to the country,” Malviya said after his landmark medal.
Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Malviya has quickly emerged as one of the rising talents in Indian shooting. He announced himself at the national level by winning the men’s 10m air pistol Trial 1 gold medal at the 2026 National Selection Trials held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. After qualifying seventh, he produced an impressive 245.6 in the final to claim the top spot.
He also finished ninth at the 2026 ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, narrowly missing out on a place in the final despite shooting 585 in qualification.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 10m air pistol event, Manu Bhaker and Suruchi Inder Singh endured disappointing outings.
Manu, the double Olympic bronze medallist at the 2024 Paris Games, finished fifth with 179.9 points, while Suruchi, the Asian Games mixed team gold winner, was sixth with 158.3 in the eight-shooter final.
China dominated the event, with Jiang Ranxin clinching gold with 242.4 points and compatriot Yao Qianxun taking silver with 242.1. Hungary’s Veronika Major claimed bronze with 222.1. All the three medallists secured Olympic quota places, leaving the two Indian shooters empty-handed.
Manu struggled to find consistency throughout the final, with her scores fluctuating between 8.8 and 10.7. She was eventually eliminated after the 18th shot. Suruchi, too, was let down by a series of poor shots in the 8s and 9s and bowed out after the 16th shot.
There was some consolation for India as Manu, Suruchi and Sainyam combined to win the team silver medal. India finished with 1,738 points, behind China, who claimed gold with 1,745.
The team standings are decided on the combined qualification scores of the three shooters from each country. However, the medal does not carry an Olympic quota.
Earlier, Manu had bounced back from a modest start in the qualification to secure her place in the final. After shooting 95 in each of her first two series, she found her rhythm with scores of 98, 100, 96 and 99 to finish third with 583.
Suruchi also made the eight-shooter final, scraping through in eighth place with 580. The multiple-time World Cup gold medallist maintained a steady run, shooting 97, 95, 96, 97, 97 and 98.
China’s Jiang topped the qualification with 585, while the third Indian in the fray, Sainyam, finished 22nd with 575 (95, 94, 96, 96, 95, 99). Her score, however, proved crucial in Indian team’s silver-winning effort.
(PTI News)
