Asian Shooting Championships 2025: Sift Kaur Samra Wins Gold, India Tops 50m Rifle 3 Positions

Olympian Sift Kaur Samra secured gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions and led India to the team title at the Asian Shooting Championships 2025 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, 26 August. Sift Kaur Samra, a world record holder, delivered a stellar performance as she fired a remarkable 459.2 in the final, narrowly defeating China's Yang Yujie, who scored 458.8, to claim the gold medal in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event.

This victory marked Samra's fourth Asian Championships gold medal, further establishing her dominance in the sport. In the qualification round, Samra led the field with a score of 589, securing her place as the top qualifier among the eight shooters who advanced to the final.

India Clinches Team Gold, Outpaces Japan And South Korea

The Indian women's rifle team, comprising Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil, and Ashi Chouksey, clinched the team gold medal with an aggregate score of 1,753 points at the Asian Shooting Championships. Samra contributed a superb 589, Ashi Chouksey added 586, and Anjum Moudgil scored 578.

The trio outperformed Japan, who finished with 1,750 points, and South Korea, who tallied 1,745. Samra's leadership and consistency were instrumental in guiding India to the top of the podium in the team event, reinforcing India's growing reputation in international shooting competitions.

Final Standings And Notable Performances In Shymkent

In the individual final, Samra's scores included 151.0 in kneeling and 156.2 in prone positions. During the standing-elimination round, she maintained her lead despite a late surge from China's Yang Yujie, ultimately winning by a margin of 0.4 points.

Japan's Nobata Misaki secured the bronze medal with a score of 448.2. Ashi Chouksey, who entered the final in fourth place, finished seventh with 402.8 points. Senior pro and two-time Olympian Anjum Moudgil placed 22nd in a competitive field of 41 shooters.

Another Indian, Shriyanka Sadandi, topped the qualification round but was ineligible for the final as she was competing for 'Ranking Points Only' (RPO), a category that does not allow shooters to compete for medals.

Neeru Dhanda Shines In Women's Trap Event

On Monday, National Games champion Neeru Dhanda delivered one of her finest performances, winning the women's trap gold medal at the Asian Shooting Championships. Her achievement added to India's medal tally and highlighted the country's depth in women's shooting disciplines at the continental level.

Indian women shooters have shown a marked rise in international podium finishes since 2022. At the 2023 Asian Games, Indian women secured five medals in rifle shooting, the highest tally in a single edition for the country. Neeru Dhanda’s gold in trap follows India’s first-ever women’s team trap medal at the 2023 ISSF World Cup.

(With PTI Inputs)