- India secured the gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event on the opening day of finals at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle / Pistol Granada 2026.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 08.04.2026) :: India began their International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol campaign in Granada, Spain, with a bang, as the pair of Palak and Mukesh Nelavalli dominated world champions Hu Kai and Qianxun in the 10m air pistol mixed team final, to strike gold at the Las Gabias shooting range on Tuesday (April 07, 2026). The pair of 20-year-olds shot a world record 487.7 to the Chinese 21-year-olds 484.8, in a stunning display. Hungarians Veronika Major and Akos Karoly Nagy won bronze with 414.9, bowing out after 21 shots of the 24-shot final.
What made the win even more special was that Mukesh was making his senior team debut. The pair also claimed the junior world record in the event with their performance.
Palak, a former Asian Games champion, said after the event, “We were able to do what we came to do. It was our first competition together as a team. We had a clear mindset of what we had to do in the final and we were doing our own thing shot after shot.”
“We had fun,”, quipped Mukesh. “I was actually competing with Palak. I was like I had to do better than her.”
Earlier the Indian pair came through a tough qualification round where they shot a combined 581 to qualify in second place in the strong 42-team detail. They were five points behind the all-conquering Chinese. Mukesh was particularly exceptional with a return of 294 from his 30 shots, 24 of them hitting the 10-ring. Hungary (580) took the third qualifying spot while Americans Nathalia Tobar Prado and Nickolaus Mowrer took the fourth and final spot with a score of 578.
The second Indian pair of Sainyam and Ujjwal Malik missed out at a shot at a medal by two points, shooting 576 to finish a credible ninth in the overall standings.
Reigning Olympic champions Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec missed out placing fifth with 577 while the Paris silver medalist pair of Sevval Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec of Turkiye were further down the pecking order in 19th with a score of 572.
The Final
Palak and Mukesh began the final with a couple of high 9s and at the end of the first series of five shots, they shot a total of 100.1, taking the lead, a slim 0.4 ahead of the Chinese.
They came into their elements thereafter, a crack 10.8 by Mukesh for his eighth ensuring that the lead stretched to 2.6 after the second series. Palak shot a high quality 51.3, while Mukesh bettered it with a 51.6.
In the third series, Mukesh shot another 10.8 for his 11th and then a 10.7 for his 15th as the Indians shot ahead by 4.3 with Hungary a distant second.
As the eliminations began and the American pair exited after the 18th shot, the Chinese managed to narrow the advantage but going into the final three shots, the lead still stood at a sizeable 2.6.
If there were any doubts remaining, Palak silenced them with a perfect 10.9 for her 23rd and the Indians eventually won by a whopping margin of 2.9.
Indians bow out in air rifle mixed team
In the second event of the day, the 10m air rifle mixed team, the Indian pair of Sonam Maskar and Gajanan Khandagale shot 631.4 in qualification to bow out sixth in the 44-team competition. Compatriots Shruti and Arshdeep Singh ended 19th with a tally of 628.0.
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