Faridkot’s Sift Kaur Samra wins gold at Asian Shooting Championship

Indian Olympian Sift Kaur Samra once again brought glory to the nation by clinching the individual gold medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the 16th Asian Shooting Championship in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, today.

The 23-year-old shooter topped the eight-shooter final with a score of 459.2, narrowly edging out China’s Yujie Yang (458.8) and Japan’s Misaki Nobata (448.2). Fellow Indian Ashi Chouksey finished seventh with 402.8. Earlier, both Samra and Ashi had impressed in the qualification round, finishing second and fifth respectively, before Samra stormed into the final as the top contender.

This latest victory adds to Sift’s growing legacy. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she scripted history by winning India’s first-ever medal in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, securing a bronze with a brilliant performance under pressure. Her Olympic medal established her as one of India’s most consistent and dependable rifle shooters on the global stage.

What makes Sift’s journey even more inspiring is her sacrifice of medical education to pursue shooting. A former MBBS student, she was denied permission to appear for her annual exams two years back after failing to meet the mandatory 75 per cent attendance requirement — owing to her rigorous international training and competitions.

Despite this setback, Samra chose to stay committed to her sport. Her gold medal in Shymkent, coming just a year after her historic Olympic podium finish, is a testament to her unwavering determination, discipline and passion for shooting, said her father Bumpy Samra.