Indian shooters Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon combined to win the bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou, adding another podium finish to India’s campaign.
The duo qualified for the medal round with an aggregate score of 634.6, with Sonam shooting 317.2 and Himanshu 317.4. India’s second pair, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Rakesh Mane, also progressed after posting 634.2 in qualification.
In the bronze medal match, Sonam and Himanshu held their nerve to finish with 441.2 points (220.6 each), securing third place behind China’s two teams. Elavenil and Parth narrowly missed out on a podium finish, ending fourth with 378.8.
A Bronze to end Hangzhou on a high. 🥉🇮🇳
Congratulations Sonam Uttam Maskar & Himanshu Dhillon on their 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Bronze! 👏🇮🇳#NRAI | #INDIANSHOOTINGTEAM | #SHOOTINGLEAGUEOFINDIA | #ISSF
[NRAI, ShootingSports, WorldCup, Hongzhou, China, SportsIndia] pic.twitter.com/b32yMQb96R
— THE NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) July 28, 2026
Maiden senior World Cup medal for Himanshu
The podium marked a memorable milestone for 20-year-old Himanshu, who celebrated his first-ever senior ISSF World Cup medal after previously enjoying success at the junior level.
“It was a great experience competing in my first senior World Cup final. I believed in myself, trusted my coach’s guidance and relied on my strengths. I’ve competed in many junior finals, but winning my first senior World Cup medal makes this achievement very special,” Himanshu said.
Sonam, meanwhile, said the medal would provide valuable confidence ahead of a busy international season.
“It was a tough competition, and the overall experience was very good. Winning a medal is always important because it gives us confidence for the assignments ahead. Experience matters more than anything, and this performance will motivate us as we prepare for the Asian Games and the World Championships later this season,” she said.
For Sonam, the bronze adds to an impressive senior résumé that already includes silver medals at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo and the ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi in 2024.
The bronze took India’s medal tally at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou to four medals, one gold, one silver and two bronze.