Buenos Aires, April 4, 2025 (TIAS Bureau) (Parveen Puri) Sift Kaur Samra delivered a sensational performance to clinch India’s first gold medal of the season at the ISSF World Cup 2025 in Buenos Aires, triumphing in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) final on Friday evening. The 23-year-old Indian shooter staged a remarkable comeback at the Tiro Federal Argentino de Buenos Aires shooting range, overcoming a challenging start to secure the top spot on the podium and kick off India’s campaign in style.Samra, a world record holder in the event, found herself trailing significantly after the initial kneeling position, where she was 7.2 points behind Germany’s Anita Mangold. Undeterred, she showcased her resilience and skill in the prone and standing positions, steadily closing the gap before surging ahead to claim victory. She finished with a commanding score of 458.6 in the 45-shot final, outpacing Mangold, who settled for silver with 455.3. Kazakhstan’s Arina Altukhova took bronze with 445.9.
The victory was particularly impressive given the strength of the field. Samra had earlier topped the qualification round with a score of 590, outshining several Olympic medalists and world champions, including Switzerland’s Chiara Leone and Nina Christen, who failed to make the final.
Her path to gold was a testament to her composure under pressure, as she turned around an eighth-place position after the kneeling stage into a dominant finish.This triumph marks Samra’s first individual ISSF World Cup gold, adding to her illustrious career that includes a world record-breaking gold at the Asian Games 2023 and a Paris 2024 Olympic quota. Her win not only highlights her growing stature in the sport but also sets a positive tone for India’s 43-member contingent at the season-opening World Cup.
The Indian shooting team, featuring stars like Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary, is poised for further success as the Buenos Aires event continues. With three major finals scheduled for Saturday—including the women’s 25m pistol, women’s skeet, and men’s skeet—India hopes to build on Samra’s golden start.“Sift’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary,” said a spokesperson from the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).