Buenos Aires, Apr 11 (PTI) The Indian team finished a creditable second in the year’s first ISSF World Cup for rifle, pistol and shotgun shooters despite the young trap mixed team pair of Lakshay Sheoran and Neeru missing out on a medal by a point in the final event of the tournament here.
After the bronze picked up by the mixed team air pistol pair of Suruchi and Saurabh Chaudhary on Thursday, India’s overall tally swelled to eight medals, including four gold, two silver and two bronze, which put them in second position.
China finished on top of the standings with five gold, three silver and three bronze medals, thanks to a 1-2 in the mixed team air pistol event on the final day. The other gold of the day was picked up by Chinese Taipei in the mixed team trap.
The highlight of India’s performance was the gold medals won by Sift Kaur Samra (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Rudrankksh Patil (men’s 10m air rifle), Suruchi (women’s 10m air pistol) and Vijayveer Sidhu (men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol).
Sidhu became the first Indian ever to win an ISSF World Cup gold in his event.
Also noteworthy was the silver winning performance in the women’s 25m pistol by young Paris Olympian Esha Singh, a reigning mixed team world champion.
Heartwarming performances were also delivered by the likes of Chain Singh, an Asian Games medallist in men’s 3P from over a decade ago, winning his first individual ISSF World Cup medal, as well as former Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games champion Saurabh Chaudhary, making a return to the ISSF World Cup medals fold after a gap of two years.
The most experienced member of the squad, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, who has been competing in ISSF World Cups since 1998, showed heart to finish seventh in the men’s trap, ending second best in a five-way shoot-off for the sixth and last final qualifying spot.
The squad now moves to Lima, Peru where competitions in the second leg of the combined ISSF World Cup stage begin from April 15. PTI AH AH PDS PDS
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