ISSF Junior World Championship: Shooters win twin team gold

India’s shooters began their ISSF Junior World Championship campaign in Peru on a good note, winning team gold in the men’s and women’s 10m air pistol events, though a potential top podium finish was lost in the individual category after a marksman was docked two points for reporting late for the final.

The junior men’s trio of Umesh Choudhary, Pradhyumn Singh and Mukesh Nelavalli topped the men’s team competition in the 10m air pistol with a tally of 1726 points. They finished 10 points ahead of second-placed Romania, while Italy took bronze with 1707.

The combination of Kanishka Dagar, Lakshita and Anjali Chaudhary tallied 1708 to clinch the women’s 10m air pistol team gold. They pipped Azerbaijan by a point and bronze-winning Ukraine by four points.

Dagar also made the individual final in third place with a score of 573. Kanak also shot the same score but with lesser inner 10s, bagging the fifth qualifying spot. In the final, Kanak won bronze with a score of 217.6, while Dagar finished eighth. Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yu-Chun won gold, while Slovakia’s Manja Slak bagged the silver.

Docked two points

Choudhary though missed a potential individual gold after being penalised two points for reporting late for the final. Choudhary and Pradhyumn had made it to the individual finals placed third and fourth, respectively, in the qualification round. Choudhary and Pradhyumn finished sixth and eighth, respectively. Luca Joldea of Romania won the gold medal, while Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Hsiang-Chen clinched the silver. The 20-year-old Choudhary got 7.4 points in his first shot in the final after deduction of the two points.

The National Rifle Association of India said that the delay was caused after coach Priya Yadav went to look for the other Indian shooter, who “had fallen behind”.