Jaypal Malviya won men’s 10m air pistol silver at the ISSF World Championships in Doha, finishing 1.7 points behind China’s Hu Kai on 242.2. His podium finish earned India its first quota place at the championships and its first shooting spot for Los Angeles 2028.
Doha, Qatar: Jaypal Malviya walked into the men’s 10m air pistol final as the third-ranked qualifier and walked out with a medal and an Olympic quota for India. His silver at the Lusail Shooting Complex on Thursday gave India its first quota place of these championships, and the first for Los Angeles 2028 in this event.
The qualifier who held his nerve
Malviya was India’s top qualifier, scoring 585 with 23 inner tens, and went into the eight-shooter final in third place. Only three quota places were on offer, one for each of the top three finishers, so a podium finish was the whole assignment. The places went to China, India and Czechia.
1.7 points from gold
Malviya opened the final with 50.5 in the first series and reached 100.0 after the second. In the elimination stage he found 10.8 and 10.7 on separate shots, and in the closing shots he kept his position to hold off Czechia’s Jindrich Dubovy, who took bronze on 220.9. Hu Kai of China won gold with 243.9, which left Malviya 1.7 points short on 242.2 and more than 21 clear of the bronze medallist.
The quota belongs to India
As with every Olympic quota place, the spot belongs to the country rather than the shooter, so India will still decide who fills it through its own selection process. Doha is the first Olympic qualifying event of the cycle and the championships run until 14 November, which leaves plenty of events in which India can add to the tally after its men’s 50m pistol team gold on Tuesday.
A second silver for the pistol squad
India also took silver in the women’s 10m air pistol team event. Manu Bhaker shot 583 with 21 inner tens, Suruchi Inder Singh 580 and Sainyam 575, giving India 1,738 with 61 inner tens behind China’s 1,745 and ahead of South Korea’s 1,729. In the men’s team event, Malviya’s 585, Kamaljeet’s 580 and Ravin Kumar’s 565 added up to 1,730 and seventh place.
Men’s 10m air pistol final, ISSF World Championships (5 November): 1. Hu Kai (China) 243.9; 2. Jaypal Malviya (India) 242.2; 3. Jindrich Dubovy (Czechia) 220.9. Women’s 10m air pistol team: 1. China 1,745; 2. India 1,738; 3. South Korea 1,729.
