Top 5 shooters in india: meet the indian shooting stars making the nation proud

Shooting was once that sport most of us only tuned into every four years, crossing our fingers for an Olympic medal. That changed drastically after the Paris 2024 Games. With three podium finishes and near-misses that had everyone glued to their screens, Indian shooting proved it isn’t just about occasional flashes of brilliance anymore—there’s real, terrifying depth in the squad.

The mental grit this sport demands is brutal. A millimeter off because your pulse spiked, and you tumble from gold to eighth place.

If you’re looking at who’s setting the benchmark right now, these five athletes stand out not just for their medals, but for how they handle the pressure when the entire country is watching.

1. Manu Bhaker

Discipline: 10m Air Pistol & 25m Sports Pistol

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were heartbreaking for Manu Bhaker. A weapon malfunction, brutal media scrutiny, and the crushing weight of unmet expectations would have derailed most teenagers permanently.

Instead, she rebuilt her game from scratch.

In Paris, Manu didn’t just bounce back; she rewrote history books. By clinching bronze in the individual 10m air pistol and teaming up with Sarabjot Singh for another bronze in the mixed event, she became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals at a single Olympics.

Watching her shoot today, what strikes you most is her composure. The erratic nerves are gone, replaced by a steely, unshakeable routine. At just 24, she has already transitioned from a promising prodigy to the undisputed anchor of Indian pistol shooting.

2. Sarabjot Singh

Discipline: 10m Air Pistol

Sarabjot originally wanted to play football. It took a casual summer camp visit in Ambala for him to pick up an air pistol, and Indian shooting is lucky he did.

Air pistol is notoriously unforgiving. There’s no support harness, no scope—just your arm holding a 1 kg chunk of metal steady while your heart thumps at 140 bpm.

Sarabjot’s defining moment came in the Paris mixed team bronze playoff alongside Manu. Going toe-to-toe with a fierce South Korean duo, he fired shot after shot right into the inner 10 ring to seal a 16–10 victory. Beyond the Olympic podium, his consistency on the World Cup circuit and Asian Games gold prove that his calm trigger release is built for the long haul.

3. Swapnil Kusale

Discipline: 50m Rifle 3 Positions

While pistol shooters often get the headlines, rifle shooters grind through one of the most physically punishing events in Olympic sports: the 50m 3 Positions (3P).

Competitors shoot 40 shots each while kneeling, prone (lying flat), and standing, strapped into heavy, stiff leather jackets under scorching ranges. The standing series at the end, when your back and shoulders are screaming in fatigue, is where medals are won or lost.

Swapnil had been grinding on the domestic circuit for over a decade, working as a railway ticket collector while training in Pune. When he stepped onto the range in Paris, nobody outside hardcore shooting circles pegged him for the podium. Yet, his ice-cold standing series catapulted him to bronze, making him the first Indian ever to medal in the men’s 50m 3P event. He’s the quintessential grinder whose patience finally paid off.

4. Esha Singh

Discipline: 10m Air Pistol & 25m Pistol

If you want to know what fearless shooting looks like, watch Esha Singh. Back in 2018, as a 13-year-old, she shocked everyone by beating established senior Olympians to win the senior national title.

Fast forward to today, and she’s a seasoned international threat across both the 10m and 25m pistol events. Switching between the precision-heavy air pistol and the rapid-fire timing of the 25m sport pistol is notoriously tricky, but Esha moves between them effortlessly. With Asian Games medals and multiple ISSF World Cup golds already under her belt, she brings an aggressive, confident rhythm to the finals hall that rattles older competitors.

5. Sift Kaur Samra

Discipline: 50m Rifle 3 Positions

Every once in a while, an athlete has a day where they enter a zone so deep it looks like they’re playing a different sport altogether. For Sift Kaur Samra, that day was the 2022 Asian Games final in Hangzhou.

Competing against the world’s best, Sift didn’t just win gold—she completely pulverized the world record with an unreal score of 469.6 points, beating the reigning world champion by a massive margin.

A former medical student who chose to focus full-time on shooting, Sift brings an analytical precision to her craft. Her stability in the kneeling and standing positions is technically text-book, making her one of the most dangerous 3P shooters on the global circuit whenever she dials in.

The Bigger Picture

It’s impossible to talk about these five without nodding to the trailblazers who built the foundation:

• Abhinav Bindra, whose individual gold in Beijing showed India it was possible.

• Gagan Narang and Vijay Kumar, who carried that torch in London 2012.

• Avani Lekhara, who continues to dominate Paralympic shooting with back-to-back golds in Tokyo and Paris.

What’s different now is the ecosystem. A decade ago, an Indian medal felt like an individual miracle fueled by personal sacrifices. Today, between modern ranges, sports science support, and intense competition at domestic trials, Indian shooters walk onto international firing lines expecting to win.

Whether you’re tracking the World Cup circuit or keeping an eye out for the next Olympic cycle, these athletes aren’t just participating—they’re the ones everyone else is trying to beat.