Rudrankksh Patil Reflects on World Cup Triumph and Future of Shooting in Global Sports

Gold medalist Rudrankksh Patil discussed his recent World Cup win and the exclusion of shooting from the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Despite challenges, he prioritizes world competitions. Patil expressed hopes for India's shooting future post-Paris Olympics, emphasizing the need for improvement and global competition focus.

Rudrankksh Patil, a gold medalist at both the World Championships and Asian Games, recently spoke about his impressive victory at the World Cup in Argentina, as well as the decision to exclude shooting from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. In conversation with ANI, Patil emphasized that the exclusion does not affect him as his coaches place greater importance on other international tournaments, which he views as more challenging.

Reflecting on his World Cup gold in Argentina, Patil said, " I feel great about the achievement. The competition was intensely challenging, and I'm pleased with my performance." Patil clinched victory by shooting 252.9 in the men's 10m air rifle final. He faced stiff competition from Hungarian rifle shooter Istvan Peni but remained formidable under pressure.

Discussing the absence of shooting from the Commonwealth Games—alongside other medal-rich sports like cricket and hockey—Patil noted that the decision does not impact him personally. His coach prioritizes global events like the World Championships, Olympics, and Asian Games due to their high level of competition, particularly against teams like China and Korea. For Patil, these events are more demanding than the Commonwealth Games.

On missing out on the Olympics despite securing a quota and finishing third in the trials, Patil admitted to initially struggling to return to form. Nevertheless, he credited his sponsors and coaches for their crucial support in rekindling his competitive edge.

While India celebrated a historic three-medal win at the Paris Olympics, Patil expressed optimism for further improvement in the sport. He concluded that there is still room to grow, with the aspiration to achieve even greater success on the global stage.

(With inputs from agencies.)