Vijayveer Sidhu Shines Bright, Clinches India’s Fourth Gold at ISSF Shooting World Cup

Paris Olympian Vijayveer Sidhu brought glory to India yet again, winning the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires. In a nail-biting finale, Vijayveer held his nerve and shot a total of 29 to edge out seasoned Italian shooter Riccardo Mazzetti by just one point, securing his first individual World Cup gold.

The 21-year-old marked a career breakthrough, earning India its fourth gold at the event and helping raise the country’s total medal tally to six.

Reflecting on his win, Vijayveer shared, “I’ve played many finals before with Gurpreet sir, Anish, and others in nationals and trials. Today, I just reminded myself to feel the same way I do back home in Delhi—like I own the place. I focused on what I could control, and it paid off.”

The final was full of momentum shifts. Mazzetti started strong, hitting 14 out of the first 20 targets, while Sidhu had a shaky opening with only one hit in his first series. But the Indian ace bounced back with a string of solid scores—including a perfect five—to take the lead.

The two were neck and neck until the final round. Mazzetti managed a three, but Sidhu responded with a crucial four to seal the win. Chinese teenager Yang Yuhao, who finished strong with a perfect five in his last series, took home the bronze after a shoot-off against Chiryukin.

This win came on the heels of another Indian triumph, as Suruchi Inder Singh claimed gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event earlier that day.

Vijayveer’s emotional and hard-fought victory marks a significant milestone—not just for him, but for Indian shooting, as he hopes this breakthrough inspires many more athletes back home.

News Source : “Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.”