Indian rifle shooter Niraj Kumar won the bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions final at the ISSF World Championship 2026 in Doha, Qatar, on November 11. The podium finish also earned India a quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the Asian Shooting Confederation said.
The final at a glance
- Gold: Dmitrii Pimenov (competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete)
- Silver: Patrik Jany (Slovakia)
- Bronze: Niraj Kumar (India), 346.5
Niraj’s score of 346.5 was enough to hold off the rest of the eight-man field and secure a place on the podium at shooting’s most important event outside the Olympics.
What makes 3 positions so tough
The 50m rifle 3 positions event is one of the most demanding in shooting. Athletes fire at a target 50 metres away from three different positions: kneeling, prone (lying down) and standing. Each position needs a different body setup and balance, and the shooter has to switch between them under time pressure. Standing is usually the hardest, since the rifle has no support except the shooter’s own body.
In the final, shooters are eliminated step by step after the standing series, so one poor shot late on can cost a medal. Winning bronze means Niraj kept his nerve right to the closing stage.
Why the Olympic quota matters
World Championships are among the first chances to win quota places for the next Olympics. These quotas belong to the country, not the individual shooter, so India now has one guaranteed spot in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at LA 2028. National selection trials will decide who fills it closer to the Games.
The Asian Shooting Confederation noted that the medal adds another Olympic quota place to India’s tally from the Doha championship. Earning quotas this early takes pressure off later qualifying events and gives the federation more time to plan training.
A good run for Indian shooting in Doha
The bronze adds to a strong campaign for India in Doha. Earlier at the same championship, the Indian women’s team won gold in the 25m pistol team event.
Indian rifle shooters have a solid record in the 3 positions event over the past few years, and Niraj’s medal at a World Championship strengthens his own case for a place in the national team as the LA 2028 cycle begins.
Reporting based on the Asian Shooting Confederation and The Hans India.
Featured image: Gregory Hawken Kramer, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
