New Delhi: Young Akhil Sheoran clinched the gold medal in men’s 50m rifle 3 position with plenty to spare as India continued their superlative run at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. Sheoran, thus, became the fourth young Indian shooter to win a medal on ISSF World Cup debut.
This was after the likes of Shahzar Rizvi, Manu Bhaker, Mehuli Ghosh and Anjum Moudgil had put India on top of the medal standings with their performances over the last week.
Sheoran’s gold was India’s fourth of the competition and makes it almost certain that the country would finish on top of the medals tally for the first time in an ISSF World Cup. Sheoran shot 455.6 in the final to pip Austria’s Bernhard Pickl in second place with 452.
In a classy field which included 38-time ISSF medallist and Hungarian rifle legend Peter Sidi, Rio Olympic Bronze medallist Alexis Reynauld of France and air rifle gold medallist Istvan Peni, also of Hungary besides India’s champion 3 position exponent Sanjeev Rajput, Sheoran’s performance in tough conditions belied his age and experience.
Earlier in the qualification round where each shooter shoots 40-shots in each position, the experienced Rajput shot a solid 1176 out of a possible 1200 to qualify second behind Peni who shot 1178.
Sheoran was fourth with 1174 while young Swapnil Kusale, competing in his first World Cup, shot 1168 for seventh place to ensure all three Indians made the eight-man final.
Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker has qualified in fourth place for the women’s 25m Pistol Final, shooting a score of 581.
Annu Raj Singh shot 575 to finish 10th. Anna Korakaki, the reigning Olympic Champion in the event and Heidi Gerber, the Rio Bronze medallist, are also among the eight who have qualified.
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