ISSF WorldCup: Maharashtra’s Arya Borse and Arjun Babuta Triumph in Munich ISSF World Cup

India celebrated a proud sporting moment at the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Munich, as Arya Borse from Maharashtra and Arjun Babuta clinched the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event. The Indian duo delivered a stellar performance in the final, defeating China's Olympic champion pair Zhifei Wang and Lihao Sheng with a convincing score of 17-7. China initially took the lead in the match, but the Indian shooters remained calm under pressure and made a strong comeback. Borse and Babuta won four consecutive rounds to take an 8-2 lead, establishing a commanding position and eventually securing the title.

In the qualification round, Borse and Babuta had finished second with a score of 635.2, while their Chinese counterparts had set a world record with 635.9 points. However, it was the Indian pair’s precision and consistency in the final that made the difference. This isn’t Arya Borse’s first time on the podium. She had previously won a silver medal in the mixed team event alongside Rudranksh Patil at the World Cup held in Lima, Peru.

Meanwhile, the second Indian pair, Elavenil Valarivan and Ankush Jadhav, finished sixth in this edition of the event. In the bronze medal match, Norway’s Janet Duestad and John-Herman Hegg defeated American shooters Sage Madlena and Peter Fiori with a close 16-14 score. With this gold, India has now won four medals at the tournament. Earlier, Suruchi Singh bagged a gold, while Sifat Kaur Samra and Elavenil Valarivan secured bronze medals.

In the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, Manu Bhaker and Aditya Malra finished sixth in the qualification round with 577 points. This triumph is especially significant for Maharashtra, as Arya Borse’s gold medal adds to the state’s growing reputation for producing world-class shooting talent. Her achievement is being hailed across the Indian sporting community as a moment of immense pride.