Indian shooters Vivaan Kapoor and Anantjeet Singh Naruka delivered impressive performances on the last day of the ISSF World Cup Final at Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad. Their efforts resulted in two additional medals for India, doubling the country’s total to four by the end of the three-day championship.
Vivaan Kapoor clinched a silver in the men’s trap event, while Naruka secured a bronze in the men’s skeet event. This achievement follows the earlier successes of Sonam Maskar, who won silver in the pistol category, and Akhil Sheoran, who earned a bronze in the rifle event.
Vivaan Kapoor focus on LA Olympics
Despite his remarkable silver-medal performance, the 22-year-old Vivaan Kapoor remains focused on a larger goal: winning Olympic gold. Trained by former World Champion Khaled Al Mudhaf of Kuwait, Kapoor has been steadily working towards raising his game to meet global standards. Kapoor competed against tough rivals in the finals, including Qi Ying, the Olympic silver medallist from China, who ultimately took gold, and James Willett of Australia, who finished fifth.
Reflecting on his journey, Kapoor shared his aspirations, saying, “I have a very organized plan with my coach working towards the LA Olympics. My preparation started the day the Paris Olympics ended.”
Anantjeet Singh Naruka steady rise
Anantjeet Singh Naruka, who had earlier secured a silver at the Hangzhou Asian Games, continued his strong form by winning a bronze in men’s skeet. Naruka’s performance came after overtaking Rashd Saleh Al-Athba of Qatar, who had topped the qualification rounds. The Italians Tammaro Cassandro and Gabriele Rossetti claimed the gold and silver medals in the skeet event.
Naruka, who had narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the Paris Olympics mixed skeet event, was determined not to let history repeat itself. “When people were getting eliminated here, I thought to myself, ‘This cannot go as the Olympics went. I have to win a medal,’” Naruka explained, highlighting his resilience and motivation.
Future Aspirations
Both Kapoor and Naruka, hailing from Jaipur and coming from families with a rich shooting tradition, are part of India’s next wave of top-level shooters. Kapoor’s mentor, Khaled Al Mudhaf, has high hopes for his protégé, stating, “He has a long time. I am 47 and just came from the Paris Olympics. I think Vivaan has what it takes to be one of the best in the world.”
For Naruka, his recent results are positioning him as one of the top skeet shooters internationally. Reflecting on his progress, Naruka said, “The four of us (men and women shotgun shooters) are in the finals today and we have been performing well now. Slowly, we are getting to know about the sport, and the younger crowd is coming in.”
India at ISSF World Cup Final
India ended the competition with two silver and two bronze medals, finishing ninth among 14 countries. China topped the medal tally with five golds and three bronze, while Italy followed with one gold, three silver, and a bronze.
With Kapoor and Naruka’s stellar performances, Indian shooting continues to make its mark on the global stage, building momentum for future competitions, including the 2026 Los Angeles Olympics.
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