Indian shooter Niraj Kumar has won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the ISSF World Championships in Doha, and with it, he has secured India’s second shooting quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The 26-year-old from Punjab finished the final on Wednesday, November 11, with a score of 346.5, capping a long wait for his first individual medal at the elite level.
It was a final full of swings. Niraj stayed in the hunt for silver for most of the way, but a costly 9.4 on his 34th shot pushed him down to third. Slovakia’s Patrik Jany moved ahead to take silver with 357.2, while gold went to Individual Neutral Athlete Dmitrii Pimenov, who shot 362.8 to set a junior world record.
A medal he had been waiting for
For Niraj, the bronze carried weight beyond the podium. He has been part of India’s shooting setup for years, competing in team events and World Cups, but an individual medal at a World Championship had stayed out of reach. In Doha, that changed. Speaking after the final, he said he had been starving for a medal like this, and the relief was plain to see as he celebrated with national high performance coach Manoj Kumar.
The 50m rifle 3 positions is one of shooting’s toughest tests. Athletes shoot in three stances, kneeling, prone and standing, and must hold their nerve as the final moves from one position to the next. A single loose shot can undo an hour of steady work, and Niraj found that out on his 34th shot. What mattered was that he steadied himself after it and held on to bronze.
What the quota means for India
The bronze also earned India a quota place for the Los Angeles Games, the country’s second in shooting at these championships. The first came a few days earlier, when Jaypal Malviya won silver in the men’s 10m air pistol event.
Three quota places were on offer in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions final, and the third went to world No. 1 Jon-Hermann Hegg of Norway, who finished fourth but still claimed a quota after Jany, who had already secured one earlier, took silver. Under ISSF rules, each athlete can secure only one quota place for their national Olympic committee.
It is worth remembering that an Olympic quota belongs to the country, not the shooter who wins it. The final Indian team for Los Angeles will be picked by the national shooting authorities closer to the Games, so Niraj’s bronze guarantees India a place in the event, not necessarily his own spot on the start line. Even so, a medal at a World Championship is the strongest possible case he could make.
Team bronze adds to the day
India’s good day in Doha did not end with Niraj’s individual medal. He combined with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran to win bronze in the team event, the trio scoring 1,751 in the elimination round. It was another sign of the depth in Indian rifle shooting, a discipline that has quietly become one of the country’s most reliable sources of medals.
The ISSF World Championships in Doha are offering three Olympic quota places in each of their 12 individual events, across rifle, pistol and shotgun, for men and women. With two quotas already in the bag and more events still to come, India’s shooting contingent will be looking to add to the tally before the championships end.
What happens next
Niraj will now turn his attention to the rest of the season and the long road to Los Angeles, with selection trials and World Cups forming the next steps. For Indian shooting, the bigger picture is encouraging: a second quota, a team medal, and a young shooter breaking through at the highest level, all in the same week.
Two years out from the Games, the work is only beginning. But on Wednesday in Doha, Niraj Kumar gave Indian shooting exactly what it needed, a medal, a quota, and a reminder that patience in this sport eventually pays.
FAQs
Who is Niraj Kumar?
Niraj Kumar is a 26-year-old Indian rifle shooter from Punjab. His bronze in Doha is his first individual medal at the elite level.
What did Niraj Kumar win at the ISSF World Championships?
He won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event in Doha on November 11, 2026, scoring 346.5 in the final.
How many Olympic quotas has India won in shooting for LA 2028?
Two so far at these championships: Niraj Kumar’s in the 50m rifle 3 positions and Jaypal Malviya’s silver in the men’s 10m air pistol.
Does the quota guarantee Niraj Kumar a place at LA 2028?
No. Olympic quotas are awarded to the country, not the individual shooter. India’s final team will be selected closer to the Games.
Who won gold and silver in the event?
Gold went to Dmitrii Pimenov, competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete, with a junior world record score of 362.8. Silver went to Slovakia’s Patrik Jany with 357.2.
India’s shooting story in Doha is still being written, and Niraj Kumar’s bronze may well be remembered as the moment a new name announced itself on the world stage.
