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Niraj scripts history with World C'ships bronze, secures LA 2028 Olympic quota

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Competing in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final, 26-year-old Niraj Kumar registered 346.5 points to secure his maiden individual World Championships medal. His performance followed an earlier quota earned by pistol shooter Jaypal Malviya at the same competition. India's momentum in the event was further bolstered when the nation secured an additional bronze medal in the team competition.

Key points

  • India has now collected two shooting quota berths for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic…: India has now collected two shooting quota berths for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
  • The earned Olympic quota belongs to the country rather than the athlete, leaving final se…: The earned Olympic quota belongs to the country rather than the athlete, leaving final selection to Indian shooting officials.
  • Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg was awarded the event's third Olympic quota after finishing the…: Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg was awarded the event's third Olympic quota after finishing the individual final in fourth place.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

India's shooting contingent has received a major boost ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with Niraj Kumar securing an Olympic quota place after winning bronze in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the ISSF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The 26-year-old delivered a composed performance in the final on Wednesday, finishing third with 346.5 points to claim his maiden individual medal at the World Championships. The achievement also earned India a quota place for the upcoming Summer Games, taking the country's tally at the competition to two.

Dmitrii Pimenov, competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete, won the gold medal, while Slovakia's Patrik Jany settled for silver. Norway's Jon-Hermann Hegg finished fourth and secured the third available Olympic quota in the event, as Jany had already earned one for his country.

Niraj Kumar ends wait for maiden individual World Championships medal

The bronze medal marks a significant breakthrough for Niraj, who has consistently featured among India's promising rifle shooters. Despite reaching the final of major international competitions on previous occasions, an individual World Championships medal had remained elusive.

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