Hyderabad: Telangana shooter Dhanush Srikanth won the gold medal in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle event at the Deaflympics Tokyo 2025 on Sunday. This victory set a new world record in the finals. Fellow Indian and Gun For Glory teammate Mohammed Vania clinched the silver. This secured a historic 1–2 finish for India in the event.
Srikanth, who had earlier won two gold medals at the 2021 Deaflympics in Brazil, successfully defended his title with a dominant performance. His victory reinforced his position as the top athlete in his category. Moreover, it marked a major milestone in Telangana’s competitive sports record.
The Hyderabad-based shooter trains at Gun For Glory Academy under the mentorship of Olympic medallist Gagan Narang and coach Neha Chavan. He is also scheduled to compete in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event, where he is the defending champion.
Telangana duo deliver historic podium sweep for India
Srikanth’s journey has drawn praise for his consistent excellence. This is particularly notable as a hearing-impaired athlete who also competes successfully against able-bodied shooters in ISSF events. His gold-winning feat has been hailed as a breakthrough moment not only for Indian shooting but also for Telangana’s expanding sporting infrastructure.
The state’s Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs 1.20 crore for Srikanth’s achievements. Sporting circles have called for wider recognition and continued support to strengthen Telangana’s shooting ecosystem.