Excitement at the final of the World Championships in the men's 25-meter center fire pistol competition

On the last day of the World Championships, the focus was on the men's 25-meter center fire pistol competition. Martin Böhlke and Bodo Funcke competed for Germany, while three athletes from Ukraine also fought for the title. Given the small field of participants, the starting position seemed to favor the German team.

The competition was characterized by nervousness and high tension, especially since Martin Böhlke was in the lead for a long time. However, Ukrainian Serhii Fomin faced technical problems during the competition and was given a 10-minute break for an urgent weapon repair. Had this not been successful, he would have faced disqualification. While the repairs were ongoing, the other athletes continued their competition. Böhlke showed a strong performance and was able to maintain the lead until the end of the competition. However, Fomin managed to repair his weapon and returned to the competition. In a thrilling finish, Fomin narrowly secured the gold medal, while Martin Böhlke shone with silver for Germany. Third place went to the Ukrainian Orhorodnyk. Bodo Funcke took 5th place.

Special honor for young athletes from India

After the competition, the medal winners were awarded. But before the World Championship officially ended, the organizing committee honored two of the youngest participants. In an impressive performance, the two awards were given to two young athletes from India.

Abhinav Deshwal (17) and Anuya Prasad (16) were honored for their outstanding achievements:

Anuya Prasad won gold in the 10 meter air pistol discipline.

Abhinav Deshwal won:

  • Silver in 10 meter air pistol
  • Silver in 10 meter air pistol team
  • Gold in 25 meter pistol
  • Gold in 25 meter standard pistol
  • Silver in 10 meter air pistol mixed competition

Mrs Henrion from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs and Timo Kruckenmeyer from the Lower Saxony Deaf Sports Association presented the two young talents with a Nana figure, a well-known sculpture from Hanover, and acknowledged the impressive achievements of the young athletes.

Thanks and ceremonial conclusion

Daniel Haffke, who represented the German Deaf Sports Association, thanked all participating nations afterwards and particularly highlighted the support from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs, the City of Hanover and the Lower Saxony Lotto Foundation.

Ingo Schweinsberg, Sports Director for Shooting Sports at the International Deaf Sports Association (ICSD), expressed his thanks to Germany for successfully hosting the World Championships. With numerous world records broken, the event was a great success. Schweinsberg was also already looking forward to the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo.

At the ceremonial end, the ICSD flag was lowered and handed over to Daniel Haffke, who then passed it on to the international association. With this symbolic gesture, the World Championships officially ended.

CountriesMedals
GoldSilverBronzeTotal
India77620
Ukraine75719
Germany1214
Hungary12 3
Chinese Taipei  11
Croatia  11
TOTAL16161648

The medal table of the World Championships impressively underlines the outstanding performances of India and Ukraine, who clearly dominated the tournament. Both nations secured numerous podium places and demonstrated their excellent form. The competition was challenging for Germany, but with great effort they were able to win four hard-fought medals in the end - a result that reflects the high level of competition and strong international participation.