Shooter Dhanush Srikanth gave India a flying start at the 2025 Deaflympics, winning the air rifle gold medal with a World Record in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday.

He successfully defended his title from the last edition and shot 252.2 in the final to edge past his compatriot Mohammed Vania (250.1), who settled for a silver medal.

Dhanush and Vania also finished in first and second positions in the qualification round and maintained that in the final, and remained in the top-2 throughout.

India had a double podium in the women’s air rifle event as well, with Mahit Sandhu and Komal Waghmare clinching the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Ukraine’s Violeta Lykova sets a world record at 252.4 to claim gold, denying India a double in air rifle, but Mahit and Komal have now become India’s first-ever women’s air rifle medalists at these Games.

Sakshi Bansode lost in bronze medal bout

India also started its campaign in other sports, starting with the group stage matches in badminton and a few of the medal events in Judo.

In judo, Sakshi Bansode reached the semi-finals with a win against Aigerim Daniiarova of Kyrgyzstan, but then lost her semi-final bout on extra time to Turkiye’s Buse Tiras.

She had another tough defeat in her bronze bout to South Korea’s Eunji Seo in the women’s 57Kg category, and hence failed to win India’s first-ever judo medal.

India has sent their biggest-ever contingent of 73 athletes to Tokyo for these games, and with this brilliant start, it will be hoping for their best-ever outing.