India’s Udhayveer Sidhu clinched the gold medal in the men’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2026 in Cairo, Egypt, delivering a composed performance to finish ahead of Germany’s Olympic medallist Christian Reitz in a thrilling final on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Indian shooter recorded a score of 240.6 points in the medal match, edging past Reitz by just 0.5 points. The German settled for silver with 240.1 points, while Italy’s Paolo Monna claimed bronze with 219.8 points.
Udhayveer Sidhu Holds His Nerve in Dramatic Final
Udhayveer produced a determined performance during the closing stages of the men’s 10m air pistol final to secure the gold medal.
Trailing Reitz by 0.3 points heading into the final two shots, the Indian shooter responded with scores of 10.2 and 9.8. Reitz, meanwhile, managed two consecutive 9.6s, allowing Udhayveer to seal victory with his final shot.
The narrow margin underlined the intensity of the contest, with the Indian holding his composure when it mattered most to secure the top podium finish.
Udhayveer Qualifies Fourth for the Final
Earlier in the day, Udhayveer secured his place in the eight-shooter final by finishing fourth in qualification with a total of 585 points across six series.
His series scores were 99, 98, 98, 97, 97 and 96, giving him a strong platform ahead of the medal round.
India’s Jonathan Gavin Antony, competing in the Ranking Points Only (RPO) category, shot an impressive 586 to match Paolo Monna’s qualification score for the joint-highest total.
Among India’s other participants, Ajendra Singh Chauhan finished 14th with 580 points, while Olympic medallist Sarabjot Singh recorded 574 points to place 31st. Kumar Yogesh scored 573 in the RPO section.
Christian Reitz Wins Silver, Paolo Monna Takes Bronze
Germany’s Christian Reitz, a multiple Olympic medallist, put up a strong challenge but narrowly missed out on gold, finishing with 240.1 points.
Italy’s Paolo Monna completed the podium with 219.8 points. Turkey’s Paris 2024 Olympic medallist Yusuf Dikec finished seventh with 138.0 points.
Greece’s Georgios Gampierakis secured fourth place with 198.7 points, followed by Latvia’s Emils Vasermanis in fifth with 177.6 points.
India’s Campaign at ISSF World Cup Cairo 2026
The ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol competition is being held in Cairo, Egypt, from October 8 to 16, 2026. India has sent a 24-member contingent for the international competition, featuring experienced Olympians and emerging shooting talents.
Olympic bronze medallists Swapnil Suresh Kusale and Sarabjot Singh are among the leading names in the Indian squad. The contingent is competing across eight individual Olympic disciplines and two mixed events.
Udhayveer Sidhu’s gold medal in the men’s 10m air pistol adds a significant achievement to India’s campaign in Cairo and highlights the country’s strength in international pistol shooting.
