Anish Bhanwala became the first Indian shooter to win a medal in the 25m rapid fire pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Final 2023.

Anish Bhanwala (21 years old) made history by being the first Indian shooter to win a medal at the ISSF World Cup Final 2023 in the men's 25m Rapid Fire event. This achievement surpassed the efforts of previous Indian shooters such as Vijay Kumar in 2009 as well as Gurpreet Singh in 2015, who reached the final but did not win a medal. This event took place in Doha, Qatar.

Anish Bhanwala: Background, Award & Honors

Anish Bhanwala, born to Jagpal Bhanwala and his wife, is an Indian shooter who began his passion for the sport at the age of 11. He trained at the shooting range with his father Jagpal, his sister also an international shooter, Muskan Bhanwala. Anish moved to Delhi with his father in 2017 and practiced for international competitions.

Journey of Competition, Awards & Glory

Bhanwala made his international debut in 2013 at the U-12 Modern Pentathlon World Championships in Cyprus and participated in the Asian Modern Pentathlon World Championships in Beijing, China. In 2017, he won the Senior National Gold medal in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol and won Gold medals in Junior and Team events. In 2019, he won the Senior and Junior Gold medals in Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Individual and Team events. Bhanwala's international career breakthrough came in 2017 when he won his first international Gold medal in 25m Standard Pistol. He also won a Gold medal and Silver medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Suhl Junior World Cup in Germany.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he won the Gold medal in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, becoming the youngest Indian to win a Gold medal in Commonwealth Games. In 2019, he won Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, 25m Standard Pistol Team, and 25m Air Standard Pistol. Anish Bhanwala barely qualified for the six-man final on Friday, finishing sixth in the initial round of qualifying with a score of 581. From a field of 16 shooters, Florian Peter finished first with 587 points, while LI Yuehong finished fifth with 586.  Anish Bhanwala's bronze medal was India's first and only individual medal at the ISSF World Cup Final this year. Indian shooters Manu Bhaker, Divyansh Singh Panwar, and Elavenil Valarivan won gold medals in individual events at the last ISSF World Cup Final, which was held in China four years ago.

Final Doha's Decisive Battle