Meghana Sajjanar clinched her first-ever individual international medal with a bronze in Women’s 10m Air Rifle at the ISSF World Cup 2025 in Ningbo, China, on Sunday.
The only other international medal in Meghana’s career so far had been a team bronze at the Cairo World Championship in 2022. Her previous best in a World Cup was a fourth-place finish at Gabala in 2017, making this bronze a long-awaited breakthrough.
For the 31-year-old, it was a career-defining moment. Competing in her first World Cup final in eight years, she overcame a shaky start to post 230.0 points and seal bronze. The event, however, belonged to China’s teen sensation Peng Xinlu, who smashed the world record with a staggering 255.3 to clinch gold. Norway’s Olympian Jeanette Hegg Duestad took silver with 252.6.
Meghana, who had only just squeezed into the final in seventh place with a qualification score of 632.6, shot a strong series midway through the match—including a crucial 10.9 on her 12th shot—to climb steadily up the leaderboard. In the closing stages, she held her nerve to edge out neutral athlete Mariia Vasileva and secure a podium finish.
“It’s really good to be back. I am very happy to win the bronze here,” Meghana said after her breakthrough medal.
While Meghana delivered a memorable podium, India’s other rifle hopes endured contrasting fortunes. Olympic bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale faltered in Men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions, finishing 21st with 587 and missing the final.
Kiran Ankush Jadhav raised hopes by qualifying fourth with 590 but endured a poor start in both kneeling and prone, eventually bowing out first in the final with 406.7 to finish eighth. Among others, Olympian Ramita Jindal (629.8) placed 22nd in Women’s 10m Air Rifle, while Kashika Pradhan (626.6) finished further down.
Babu Singh Panwar scored 583 in Men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions to end outside contention.
Alongside Meghana’s bronze, Esha Singh had earlier won gold in Women’s 10m Air Pistol, helping India finish fifth on the medal table at the Ningbo World Cup. China topped the tally with three golds, while Norway came away second with two golds in its kitty, of the 10 available.