Niraj Kumar wins bronze and LA 2028 quota for India

Niraj Kumar won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle three-position final at the ISSF World Championships in Doha on November 11, securing India a quota place for the event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He scored 346.5 points, finishing behind gold medallist Dmitrii Pimenov and silver medallist Patrik Jany.

Pimenov, competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete, won with 362.8 points, reported as a junior world record. Jany scored 357.2. Niraj was in contention for a higher finish, but a lower-scoring final shot left him third. Accounts differ on whether that shot was 9.4 or 9.7.

The quota is assigned to India and does not automatically determine which shooter will compete at the Olympics. The National Rifle Association of India will select the eventual representative. Niraj’s result brought India’s quota total at the championships to two, following Jaypal Malviya’s silver in the men’s 10m air pistol on November 10.

Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, the other Indian in the final, finished fifth with 323.7 points. Niraj had led qualification, recording 591 points and 29 inner tens, according to the reported results. Tomar qualified fourth with 586 points and 27 inner tens.