Former world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil clinched the gold medal in the men’s 10-meter air rifle event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Argentina on Sunday. He took an early lead, scoring 53.2 points in the first series, and maintained it throughout the final, despite a challenge from Hungary’s Istvan Penyi, who ultimately secured silver.
India’s Arjun Babuta finished seventh after failing to meet expectations, scoring only 50.4 points in his first five shots and getting eliminated in the second series. Meanwhile, China’s Wang Honghao narrowly escaped elimination multiple times but fell short in the battle for bronze, which went to Argentina’s M.J. Gutierrez.
In the qualification round, Babuta and Rudrankksh impressed, finishing in the top two spots with scores of 634.5 and 633.7. Kiran Ankush Jadhav also reached the top eight but was unable to qualify for the final due to RPO (Ranking Points Only) constraints.
“I’m feeling really nice. It’s been a long journey,” Patil told ISSF. “This is the first World Cup after the Olympics. I’m glad that I was able to perform to my level and bring the gold home,”patil said.
Patil’s victory marked India’s fourth medal at the season’s inaugural ISSF World Cup. Sift Kaur Samra claimed gold in the women’s 50m rifle 3P, while Chain Singh secured bronze in the men’s 50m 3P on Friday.Manu Bhaker blanked out but Esha Singh chipped in with a silver in the women’s 25m pistol event.
