New Delhi: The 16th RR Lakshya Cup 2025 will bring together India’s top 20 ranked 10m Air Rifle shooters for a two day competition in Navi Mumbai. Scheduled for February 21 and 22 at the Lakshya Shooting Club, Karnala Sports Academy in Panvel, the invitation only event will feature leading names from both junior and senior categories in a professionally conducted tournament aligned with international standards.
Among the prominent participants are Kiran Jadhav, the reigning national champion and World Championship medalist, Sonam Maskar, an ISSF World Cup medalist, Parth Mane, National Games champion and Junior World Champion, Rajshree Sancheti, a former national champion with international experience, and Ojasvi Thakur, an Asian Youth Championships gold medalist.
The Senior Champion will receive a cash award of ₹1.5 lakh along with the rotating Silver Trophy, currently held by Kiran Jadhav of the Navy. The Junior Champion will earn ₹75,000, while other podium finishers will also receive prize money. In addition, top athletes will be eligible for shooting equipment and accessories from event partners.
Founded in 2006, Lakshya Shooting Club launched the Lakshya Cup in 2009 as an internal competition. Conceptualised by Olympian and Dronacharya awardee Suma Shirur, the tournament has evolved since 2016 into one of India’s most respected rifle shooting competitions, designed to simulate high pressure international conditions.
A distinctive feature of the event is gender parity. Men and women in the senior category, as well as boys and girls in the junior division, compete together for identical podium positions, reflecting the sport’s emphasis on skill and composure.
The 10m Air Rifle discipline gained national prominence after Abhinav Bindra secured India’s first individual Olympic gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Through structured competition and professional management, the Lakshya Cup continues to strengthen India’s high performance shooting ecosystem.
