New Delhi: The Indian shooting team on Tuesday delivered a standout performance on the opening day of the finals programme at the ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol Granada 2026, claiming gold in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event with a combined score of 487.7 points.
The performance was good enough to set both a World Record and a World Record Junior in the same breath.
The final got underway at 13:00 local time at the Las Gabias Shooting Range, Spain, with four teams competing for medals. From the early stages, it was clear that India intended to dominate. Palak Palak and Nelavalli Mukesh maintained their lead consistently throughout the contest, never allowing rivals to mount a serious challenge at the top of the standings, according to issf-sports.org.
China’s Yao Qianxun and Hu Kai were India’s closest rivals throughout the bout, eventually securing the silver medal with 484.8 points – a strong display in its own right but not enough to topple the record-breaking Indian pair. The bronze medal went to Hungary’s Veronika Major and Akos Karoly Nagy, who finished with 414.9 points. The US duo of Nathalia Tobar Prado and Nickolaus Mowrer rounded out the field in fourth place with 349.1 points.
The performance from India was not merely a points victory – it was a statement of intent. Setting both a World Record and a World Record Junior in the same final underlines just how dominant Palak Palak and Nelavalli Mukesh were on the day. The previous records are now consigned to history, and the Indian shooting community will have every reason to celebrate this landmark achievement on the international stage.
The ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol Granada 2026 continues with further finals events at the Las Gabias Shooting Range, with India having already ensured this edition will be remembered for one of its most compelling opening sessions in recent memory.
