Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms and bows/crossbows.
The International Shooting Sport Federation recognizes several shooting events, some of which have Olympic status. They are divided into four disciplines: rifle, pistol, shotgun and running target.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events. ISSF's activities include regulation of the sport, Olympic qualifications and organization of international competitions such as the ISSF World Cup Series, the ISSF World Cup Finals, the ISSF Separate World Championship in Shotgun events and the ISSF World Championship in all events.
The ISSF World Cup was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation in 1986 to provide a homogeneous system for qualification to the Olympic shooting competitions. It still is carried out in the Olympic shooting events, with four competitions per year in each event. For the best shooters there is since 1988 a World Cup Final.
The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. World Shooting Championships began in 1897, after the successful 1896 Summer Olympics, and although the ISSF was not founded until 1907, these early competitions are still seen by the organization as the beginning of a continuous row of championships. By this logic, the 2006 competition in Zagreb was called the 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships. These championships, including all ISSF shooting events, are held every four years since 1954. For the shotgun events only, there is an additional World Championship competition in odd-numbered years. These extra competitions are not numbered. In running target, there will be World Championships in Olympic years.
The 2008 ISSF World Cup was the twenty-third annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. Four qualification competitions were held in each event, spanning from March to June, and the best shooters qualified for the ISSF World Cup Final, which was carried out in September in Minsk for the shotgun events, and in November in Bangkok for the other events. Apart from those who qualified through the 2008 World Cup competitions, the defending champions and all medalists from the 2008 Summer Olympics were also invited to the final. The host countries were also granted special wild cards.
The 2009 ISSF World Cup is the twenty-fourth annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. Four qualification competitions are held in each event, spanning from April to June, and the best shooters will qualify for the ISSF World Cup Final, which will take place in China in October. The shotgun finals were originally scheduled for Istanbul, but were later moved to the Beijing Shooting Range Clay Target Field, while the rifle and pistol events will be held at a range in Wuxi. Apart from those who qualify through the 2009 World Cup competitions, the defending champions and the reigning Olympic champions will also be invited to the final. The host country may also participate with at least two shooters regardless of qualification.
The European Shooting Confederation (ESC) is an association of the International Shooting Sport Federation's member federations from Europe, the Caucasus, Cyprus, Israel, and Turkey. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ISSF banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from its competitions. In addition, the ESC stripped Russia of its right to host the 2022 European Shooting Championships in the 25m, 50m, 300m, running target and shotgun.
The European Shooting Championships are the European championships for ISSF sport shooting disciplines, including 10m air rifle and air pistol, cartridge rifle and pistol. Sometimes the competition also includes trap shooting, skeet and running target shooting events, usually organized in special championships.
Shooting competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were originally scheduled from 25 July to 3 August 2020, due to the postponement of the Summer Olympics to 2021, the rescheduled dates were on 24 July to 2 August 2021 at the Asaka Shooting Range. Unlike in 2016, the number of shooters competing across fifteen events at these Games had been reduced from 390 to 360, with an equal distribution between men and women. Furthermore, several significant changes were instituted in the Olympic shooting program, including the substitution of three male-only events, with the mixed team competitions.
The 2016 ISSF Junior World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF Junior World Cup, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.
The 2017 ISSF World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.
The 2018 ISSF World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.
The 2017 ISSF Junior World Championships was held in Suhl, Germany for Rifle, Pistol and Target Sprint from 22 June to 29 June 2017 and in Moscow, Russia for Shotgun from 30 August to 11 September 2017.
Yashaswini Singh Deswal is an Indian sport shooter. As of 2021, she is ranked world No. 1 in 10 meter air pistol.
The 2019 ISSF Junior World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF Junior World Cup, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation
The 2021 European Shooting Championships were held from 22 May to 5 June 2021 in Osijek, Croatia. 1,473 athletes from 52 countries competed.
The ISSF Junior World Championship was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation in 2017. It covers a variety of both Olympic and non-Olympic events in rifle, pistol and shotgun, with individual and team events.
The 1st ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Shooting Championships were held in New Administrative Capital, Egypt from 12 to 27 October 2022 in 78 events. This also served as qualification event for 2024 Summer Olympics.
Udhayveer Sidhu is an Indian sport shooter who competes in the 25 meter rapid fire pistol, 25 meter pistol, 25 meter standard pistol and 10 meter air pistol. He won a twenty plus international medals representing India. He is in the Indian Shooting Team since 2018. In 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup he won the 25m pistol bronze at the Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, and the twins, along with Raj Kanwar Singh, claimed the Indian team's historic gold medal in the event with a world record score of 1747. He won two golds in 2018 ISSF World Shooting Championships. In 2019 he won two golds and a bronze in 2019 ISSF Junior World Cup and later at 2019 Asian Shooting Championships in 25 meter standard pistol he won a gold and a silver. In 2021 at 2021 ISSF Junior World Championships he won an individual gold. In 2022 at ISSF Junior World Cup held at Suhl, Germany he won the silver in 25 meter standard pistol open junior mixed team and later at 2022 ISSF World Shooting Championships he won two golds and a bronze.
