ISSF rankings: India’s Rudrankksh Patil becomes world No. 1 in men’s 10m air rifle shooting
The 18-year-old Indian shooter enjoyed a successful 2022 season, winning a gold medal each at the world championships and the ISSF President’s Cup.
Ace Indian shooter Rudrankksh Patil climbed up a spot to become the new world No. 1 in the latest International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rankings for men’s 10m air rifle shooters on Saturday.
Rudrankksh Patil was placed second in the ISSF Rankings prior to last week’s President’s Cup. A gold medal at the event saw him leapfrog Danilo Sollazzo of Italy to the top spot. Rudrankksh Patil beat Sollazzo 16-8 in the gold medal match on Friday.
The 18-year-old shooter, who hails from Thane, Maharashtra, beat former world No. 1 Istvan Peni of Hungary to top the ranking round at the ISSF President’s Cup.
Incidentally, Rudrankksh Patil had also accounted for Danilo Sollazzo in October’s ISSF World Championships final, thereby securing a Paris 2024 Olympics Quota for India. It was Patil’s maiden appearance at the world championships and the youngster impressed in a stacked field, which included Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Lihao Sheng and bronze winner Haoran Yang.
Patil’s gold medal was the first for an Indian in the 10m air rifle at the world championships since Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra won it in 2006.
Tokyo Olympian Anjum Moudgil, who won silver at the President’s Cup in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, stayed at world No. 4. She is the only other Indian apart from Rudrankksh Patil who is ranked inside the top 5 in the latest ISSF Rankings.
Swapnil Kusale, who won an Olympic quota place for India earlier this year, is ranked ninth in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions ahead of Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar at No. 10.