In a remarkable display of composure and precision, 16-year-old Parth Mane won the gold in Junior Men’s 10m Air Rifle at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru. Parth shot an impressive final score of 250.7, securing his first major international title in a closely contested final.
Parth’s journey to the top began with the fourth-best qualification score of 627.7, but it was in the final where he truly showcased his talent. He edged out China’s Huang Liwanlin, who had to settle for silver with a score of 250.0, falling short by just 0.7 points. Huang, who had already won gold in the mixed team earlier in the competition, added another medal to his tally. Braden Wayne Peiser of the USA took bronze, finishing with 229.1 after 22 shots. Peiser had led the qualification round with a score of 629.8 but was unable to maintain his form in the final.
A surprising moment came when World Champion and Paris Olympic silver medallist Victor Lindgren of Sweden, one of the favorites, finished in 4th place. Despite his experience, Lindgren couldn’t keep pace with the other junior shooters in the final.
India’s Ajay Malik and Abhinav Shaw also delivered strong performances. Ajay finished 5th with 186.7 points after 18 shots, while Abhinav secured 7th place, scoring 144.2 after 14 shots. Both shooters had strong qualifying rounds—Ajay posted the second-best score of 628.8, while Abhinav was 6th with 627.0. In addition to their individual efforts, Parth, Ajay, and Abhinav teamed up to win the gold in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Team, further showcasing India’s strength in the competition.
Parth’s victory marks a significant milestone in his young career. After making his international debut at last year’s Changwon Junior World Championship, where he placed 17th with a score of 625.4 in the 10m Air Rifle, Parth has shown tremendous growth. Earlier this year, he secured a silver at the Granada Junior World Cup and a bronze at the Jakarta Asian Championship, but this triumph in Lima cements his position as one of India’s brightest shooting prospects.
Reflecting on his victory, Parth said, “It feels really nice being the Junior World Champion. Even though my qualification score was not as good as I expected, the finals really went well. Talking about the last two final shots, I did nothing apart from just the process, and it helped me. I am looking forward to competing in the senior category from next year.”
India’s success at the ISSF Junior World Championship has been remarkable. With Parth’s gold, the country now leads the medal tally with a total of 10 medals—6 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze—demonstrating India’s growing dominance in shooting sport on the global stage.