Hangzhou, Sep 27: Young star Sift Kaur Samra stole the show with a gold medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 position event as Indian shooters set the range ablaze by securing as many as seven medals at the Asian Games here on Wednesday.
In the same event, Ashi Chouksey, who was in contention for a silver, settled for bronze with a score of 451.9, while Esha Singh claimed silver in the women’s 25m pistol event with a total of 34.
On her way to silver, Esha upstaged her senior Manu Bhaker who finished a disappointing fifth after topping the qualification.
While Manu topped the qualification round, Esha (586) finished fifth.
Rhythm (583) ended seventh but since only two shooters per country are allowed in the final, she missed the cut.
The 18-year-old Esha shot 34 to settle for the second place, while China’s Rui Liu won the gold medal with a games record score of 38. South Korea’s Jiin Yang ended with bronze.
Samra produced some excellent shooting to claim the yellow metal with a world and games record score of 469.6. She also became the first Indian shooter to win gold in rifle 3 position.
Before her triumph in the final, Samra broke the Asian Games record in qualification with a total score of 594 (out of 600) along with China’s Xia Siyu, who finished on top by virtue of higher inner 10 scores (closer to the centre of the target). Chouksey had a total of 590 and qualified in sixth position. Manini Kaushik finished 18th with a score of 580.
The trio of Samra, Chouksey and Manini claimed the team silver in the women’s 50m rifle 3 position event with a total score of 1764 in the qualification.
Hosts China won the gold with an aggregate score of 1773, while South Korea bagged the bronze with a total score of 1756.
Earlier, the triumvirate of Bhaker, Esha and Rhythm Sangwan fired in tandem to shoot the gold medal in the women’s 25m pistol team event, as Indian shooters dominated proceedings at the Hangzhou Shooting Range Hall.
Manu, Esha and Rhythm totalled 1759 to finish on top of the podium and help the country clinch its fourth gold medal in the ongoing sporting extravaganza. This was the second gold medal for India in shooting in these Games.
In the day’s last shooting final, Anant Jeet Singh Naruka claimed the silver medal in men’s skeet event, adding to the team bronze he won alongside Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and Gurjoat Khangura.
Naruka finished his last round with 10/10 to end his event with an impressive 58/60 but it was still not good enough for gold as Kuwait’s Abdullah Alrashidi equalled the world record with a perfect 60/60 to finish on top of the podium.
Nasser Al-Attiya of Qatar bagged the bronze with 46.
Meanwhile, the Indian team of Bajwa, Khangura and Naruka bagged the team bronze medal in the men’s skeet event. The trio shot a total of 355 to settle for the third position. The hosts China won the gold medal while Qatar claimed the silver.
The Indian women’s team, however, crashed out of the skeet event by finishing in the fourth position behind Kazakhstan, China and Thailand. (PTI)
