Sift Kaur Samra clinches gold with world-record performance at rifle shooting

Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra secured gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 position event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, breaking world, Asian, and Games records. This individual gold marked India's fifth top finish overall at the Games, with previous golds achieved in various team events such as shooting, women's cricket, and equestrian.

Sift set a remarkable world record with a total score of 469.6 after 15 shots in kneeling, prone, and standing positions, outscoring the silver medalist, China's Qiongyue Zhang, by 7.3 points.

In qualification, Sift and China's Xia Siyu both broke the Asian Games record with a score of 594 out of 600, but Xia Siyu claimed the top spot due to higher inner 10 scores. In the team event, Sift and her Indian teammate Ashi Chouksey, along with Manini Kaushik, secured a silver medal with a combined score of 1764. India's performance at the Asian Games continues to impress, with a total medal tally of 18, further solidifying the nation's presence on the international sporting stage.

Sift's victory is a significant milestone in her shooting career, as it is her first gold in senior competitions. While she previously secured bronze medals in the ISSF World Cup in 2023 and 2022, this Asian Games gold cements her status as an emerging shooting star.