Samrat Rana (born 8 January 2005) hails from Karnal district in Haryana. At just 20 years old, he has already etched his name in history by clinching the gold medal in the men’s 10 m air pistol at the 2025 ISSF World Championships in Cairo, becoming the first Indian ever to win a world title in an Olympic-pistol discipline.
From Karnal, With Grit
Growing up in Haryana’s wheat belt, Samrat was introduced to shooting by his father, Ashok Kumar Rana, who despite having no formal training, became his coach in 2018 and guided his daily practice from a modest home range. The young shooter studied at DAV College, Karnal, and balanced academics with early mornings at the range. His journey from Karnal’s lanes to the world stage reflects the quiet determination of a young athlete who knew that talent must meet opportunity.
The Struggle and Climb
Before the gold glitz, Samrat faced the grind. His senior international exposure began only in 2025, and in the same year he finished 10th at the World Cup in Ningbo, China, a performance that showed promise but not yet the elite result.
Away from big support systems, he and his father created a training environment with limited resources, often making do with what they had. Yet each shot, each practice, built the resilience that carried him off the domestic circuit and into global contention.
The Historic Achievement
At the World Championships in Cairo, Samrat scored a cool 243.7 in the final, edging out China’s Hu Kai by 0.4 points to clinch gold. In the qualification, he topped the charts and then held his nerve in a fiercely contested final against Olympic and World champions.
Along with teammates Varun Tomar and Shravan Kumar, he also spearheaded India’s team gold with a combined tally of 1754 points.
Why It Matters
This win marks a major shift for Indian pistol shooting. Until now, world titles in Olympic-pistol events had eluded the country; Samrat’s triumph signals both a personal breakthrough and the emergence of a new generation.
His story of a father-and-son duo, modest beginnings, provincial roots and a global podium resonates far beyond the range. As he himself said: “I still can’t believe it… I just tried to focus on my technique with every shot.”
In one swift stroke, Samrat Rana moved from “promising youngster” to “national treasure”. The journey ahead is long, but his footprint is already historic.