In an exhilarating display of skill and determination, Indian shooter Mehuli Ghosh booked Paris Olympics berth after clinching bronze medal in the 10m air rifle event at the ISSF Shooting world championships in Baku on Saturday, August 19.
Tilottama Sen, another prodigious talent from India, showcased her precision by securing a commendable fourth place. However, due to a recent rule change for Olympic qualification, only one shooter from a nation can obtain a quota in any given competition.
Mehuli's performance was particularly outstanding. She outshined in the qualification round, scoring an impressive 634.5, placing her at the top among 140 competing shooters. Her journey to the podium concluded with a bronze, where she finished behind two Chinese markswomen.
Highlighting India's prowess at the ISSF World Championship, the mixed team air pistol event witnessed India securing gold, a victory made possible with the contributions of Ramita Jindal alongside Mehuli Ghosh. The Indian team stood tall against competition, clinching the top spot over formidable teams from China and Germany.
In the men's air rifle event, the trio of Divyansh Singh Panwar, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Hriday Hazarika didn't have their best outing. They landed at the 28th, 33rd, and 68th positions respectively.
Further, in the skeet shooting discipline, Olympian Angad Vir Singh Bajwa scored 121, settling at the 20th position out of 125 competitors. The final spot required a score of 123, which went into a prolonged shoot-off. Other Indian shooters like Anant Jeet Singh Naruka (120) and Gurjoat Khangura (115) secured the 44th and 95th positions, respectively. In the team competition, India ranked 14th among 28 teams.
On the overall medals table, China dominated with an impressive tally of seven gold, three silver, and two bronze medals. The USA followed in second place, boasting two gold and one silver. India, with its commendable performances, occupied the third position with two gold and two bronze medals.
The results:
10m air rifle:
Men: 1. Viictor Lindgren (Swe) 251.3 (629.3); 2. Yang Haoran (Chn) 250.6 (633.9); 3. Frantisek Smetana (Cze) 227.5 (629.7); 28. Divyansh Singh Panwar 627.5; 33. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar 627.3; 68. Hriday Hazarika 623.6.
Team: 1. China 1893.3 (WR); 2. Czech Republic 1884.3; 3. Croatia 1883.5; 10. India 1878.4.
Women: 1. Han Jayu (Chn) 251.4 (632.3); 2. Wang Zhillin (Chn) 250.2 (630.8); 3. Mehuli Ghosh 2298 (634.5); 4. Tilottama Sen 208.4 (631.3); 11. Ramita Jindal 630.1.
Team: 1. India (Mehuli, Tilottama, Ramita) 1895.9; 2. China 1893.7; 3. Germany 1887.5.
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