Niraj Kumar Wins Bronze, Secures India’s First Rifle Quota for 2028

Niraj Kumar won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3-positions at the ISSF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, on 11 November 2026. The 26-year-old Navy shooter’s result secured India’s first rifle quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Final and team results

Kumar scored 346.5 points in the final after topping qualification with 591. Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) Dmitrii Pimenov won gold with a world junior record 362.8, while Slovakia’s Patrik Jany took silver with 357.2. India’s Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar finished fifth in the final with 323.7. Kumar, Tomar and Akhil Sheoran also won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3-positions team event, scoring 1,751 points. India’s rifle quota was its second shooting quota at the championships; Jaypal Malviya had earlier secured the first, in the men’s 10m air pistol.

Important Facts for Exams

• Position sequence: In 50m rifle three-positions, competitors fire 20 shots kneeling, 20 prone and 20 standing, in that order.
• Ammunition calibre: The 50m rifle three-positions event uses .22 Long Rifle ammunition, also designated 5.6 mm.
• Final scoring: In the described major-event finals format, the top eight qualify, and medal standings depend on final scores alone, not qualification scores.