India’s Vivaan Kapoor narrowly missed out on a historic world title but had plenty to celebrate after clinching silver in the men’s trap event at the ISSF World Championships on Thursday. The 24-year-old also secured a quota place for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with his impressive performance.The Jaipur shooter was within touching distance of becoming only the second Indian to claim a world championship title in men’s trap. However, his gold-medal hopes ended in a shoot-off against Kuwait’s Abdulrahman Alfaihan after both shooters finished tied at 29 out of 30 in regulation.With the contest going down to a decisive shoot-off, Kapoor missed a clay bird, allowing Alfaihan to take the top spot and settle for silver himself.Despite falling just short of gold, Kapoor’s achievement added another significant chapter to India’s history in men’s trap shooting. He became only the fourth Indian to win a medal in the discipline at the World Championships, joining an illustrious group comprising Karni Singh, Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Zorawar Singh Sandhu.
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Manavjit remains the only Indian to have won a men’s trap world title, having achieved the feat at the 2006 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. Karni Singh had previously claimed silver, while Zorawar Singh Sandhu also figured among India’s World Championship medallists in the event.Kapoor’s silver medal also carried an important Olympic significance. He became the third Indian shooter to secure a quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, following men’s 10m air pistol shooter Jaypal Malviya and men’s 50m rifle 3-positions bronze medallist Niraj Kumar.For Kapoor, the World Championships podium finish represents a major breakthrough, even as the missed opportunity in the shoot-off leaves him agonisingly close to a historic gold medal.
