New Delhi, May 31: In a thrilling finale at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup, Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana clinched the silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event. The Indian duo narrowly lost to China’s world number one and reigning world champion pair, Yao Qianxun and Hu Kai, by just 0.3 points.
With this silver medal, India finished second in the overall medal tally, securing two golds and two silvers. China topped the chart with four golds and three bronzes.
The competition took place at the Olympiapark in Munich, Germany. Manu and Samrat started slowly, scoring a total of 100.0 after the first series of five shots, placing them third among the four finalists. Samrat scored 51.0, while Manu contributed 49.0. In the second series, Manu found her rhythm, achieving an impressive score of 51.5, which, combined with Samrat’s 49.9, propelled them into second place.
By the end of the third series, the Indian pair had reduced the gap with the Chinese team to just 0.1 points. Manu scored excellently with 51.8, while Samrat added another solid score of 50.7. In the first elimination series of three shots, both shooters gained a significant lead of 2.2 points, with Manu scoring 30.9 and Samrat 30.5, while their Chinese counterparts lagged behind with scores of 29.7 and 29.4.
In the next elimination series, Samrat scored 31.2, but Manu faltered, scoring 9.3 and 8.8 on her 19th and 20th shots, allowing the Chinese team to mount a comeback. By the end of the 21st shot, the Indian lead had vanished, and Yao and Hu took a 0.2-point advantage. Following this series, Shen Yihao and Bu Shuaihang from China were declared the bronze medal winners.
Manu began the final series with a score of 10.6, but Samrat could only manage 8.8, further extending the Chinese lead. Yao scored 8.7 on the 23rd shot, but Hu Kai compensated with three shots over 10. The Indian duo managed to narrow the gap to just 0.3 points, securing their silver medal.
Earlier in the qualification round, another Indian pair, Suruchi Singh and Shravan Kumar, finished 10th with a total score of 575-20x, with Suruchi scoring 291-11x and Shravan 284-9x.
Both Indian pairs failed to qualify for the medal round. Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta placed 14th with a total score of 630.0, while Arya Borse and Shahu Tushar Mane finished two spots lower in 16th with a score of 629.6.
China’s Wang Jifei and Sheng Lihao won the gold medal, while Norway’s Janet Heg Duestad and John-Herman Heg took silver, and China’s second pair, Han Jiayu and Ma Sihan, secured bronze.
Leave a Comment