India Wins Gold at ISSF World Cup 2026: Palak-Mukesh Create Record

Indian debut in Granada.

India began its campaign at the ISSF World Cup rifle and pistol stage at Granada, Spain with a historic performance. Palak and Mukesh Nelavalli, young shooters, won the gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with a world record score of 487.7. The performance is also a junior world record highlighting their high accuracy and calmness in the international scene.

Record-Breaking Final Performance

The Indian duo showed a lot of consistency and control in the gold medal match. Palak and Mukesh scored 243.0 and 244.7 respectively, which makes a total of 487.7, the highest in history. Qianxun Yao and Kai Hu of China earned silver with 484.8 and Hungary’s Veronika Major and Akos Karoly Nagy earned bronze with 414.9.

Good Performance in Qualification.

The two had already shown their promise during the qualification round and they had placed second with 581-17x. They followed the Chinese team that was at the first place with 586-23x. On this strong platform, Palak and Mukesh took their performance to the next level in the final to achieve the best podium finish.

Indian Shooting, up and coming talents.

Palak, 18, became a star at the 2023 Asian Games, taking individual gold in the 10m air pistol competition and a team silver. Her performance was also record-breaking to earn her an Olympic quota to Paris 2024. The bright future of the sport is signaled by the fact that Mukesh Nelavalli, a junior world champion, is well regarded as one of the best prospects in the sport of shooting in India.

Exam-Focused Key Points

• ISSF: International Shooting Sport Federation (governing body).
• Event: 10 m air pistol mixed team (Olympic event).
• Location: Granada, Spain (stage of ISSF World Cup 2026).
• India’s score: 487.7 (world record and junior world record).
• Mixed team format will consist of one male and one female shooter.

An encouraging Future.

With this gold medal, India is off to a strong start with its campaign in the ISSF World Cup. It shows the increasing maturity and stability in the Indian shooting, especially in pistols. The success of Palak and Mukesh not only gives hope to the current tournament but also enhances the chances of India to perform well in future international events such as Olympics.