Shreyasi guns down double trap gold after deadly duel CWG sticks to old rules in shooting
ON TARGET On another productive day for India at the shooting range, Ankur Mittal, Om Prakash bag a bronze each
Shreyasi Singh had a premonition when she reached the Belmont Shooting Complex that she would not return to the Games Village empty-handed on Wednesday. Her confidence grew after her first practice shot, and by the time the double trap competition ended, she had conquered a tough field, including Australia’s Emma Cox, to emerge champion.
Ankur Mittal recovered from a difficult position to win bronze in double trap, while Om Prakash Mitharwal struggled with malfunction issues but still managed bronze in 50m free pistol. Seasoned pistol shooter Jitu Rai could not add to his 10m air pistol gold despite making it to the finals.
It was the last opportunity for Shreyasi and other double trap shooters to corner glory one last time at the Commonwealth Games as the shotgun event will not be a part of the 2022 Birmingham Games and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. While the multiple time national champion and her counterpart Ankur were successful, Varsha Varman in the women’s section and Mohd Ashab in men’s weren’t that lucky despite good performances, finishing fourth in their respective sections after giving the medal winners a tough fight.
Silver-medallist at the 2014 Glasgow Games, Shreyasi was tied for the top spot with Cox after the first round in which she hit 24 targets out of 30. But with the weather conditions changing, alternating between sunny and cloudy, Shreyasi could manage only 22 in the next series and dropped to second.
Cox shot superbly and held a 7-shot lead going into the third series. However, with the weather playing traunt, the Australian hit a bad patch, managing only 18 and giving Shreyasi the chance to tie the scores at 96 at the end of the competition. In the shoot-off, Shreyasi ‘killed’ both the clay targets while Cox could manage only one, giving the Indian the gold medal.
“I was confident of my chances in the shoot off. The conditions were difficult, the light condition changing every few minutes . But I kept my focus,” said Shreyasi.
Ankur didn’t look too enthused with his bronze. Winner of a World Cup gold in 2017 and silver medallist at the World Championships in Moscow last year, the bronze medallist said, “The moment I I fired my first shot, I knew something was not going right for me. But I tried my best.”
Mitharwal made it to the final with the best score in qualification (549), with Jitu placed sixth with 542. However, both the Indians got poor starts and were placed seventh and eighth respectively after the first series of five shots. In the second, Mitharwal shot well to move up to fourth and, after couple of elimination rounds, he moved up to second position. But the youngster could not maintain his position and eventually finished thrid.
NEW DELHI: THE ISSF HAD BROUGHT ABOUT RULE CHANGES IN LINE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE’S GOAL OF BRINGING ABOUT GENDER EQUALITY
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) — the body that administers shooting sport globally — don’t seem to be on the same page with regard to the Commonwealth Games under way in Gold Coast.
The CWG shooting competition is being held as per the old ISSF rules, which were discontinued on January 1, 2018.
As per the new rules — which will be applicable in the Olympics, the world cups, world championships, Asian championships, Asian Games and all other continental championships — the number of shots in qualification round in women’s 10m pistol and 10m rifle have been increased from 40 to 60. The duration for completing the programme has also been increased from 50 minutes (for 40 shots) to 1 hr 15 min (for 60 shots).
Similarly, the number of shots in women’s 3-pos rifle has been increased from 60 to 120 shots and the time limit enhanced from 1 hr 45 min to 2 hr 45 min, while in women’s trap and skeet, it has been increased from 75 to 125 shots. But the CWG is being conducted as per the old norms.
Besides, the CGF had no business holding the ‘finals’ in the men’s 50m prone and men’s double trap, which are now nonOlympic events, and as per ISSF rules, the medals should be decided as per the scores in the qualification round.
An Olympian shotgun shooter said on condition of anonymity that it is “surprising that a multidiscipline event of this magnitude, which is only third in terms of popularity to the Olympics and Asian Games is not following rules.”
The ISSF had brought about the rule changes in line with the International Olympic Committee’s goal of bringing about gender equality in sport.
Ever since the rule was introduced, Indian shooters have been preparing themselves accordingly. Even the selection trials for the Games were held as per the new rules.
The two World Cups last month, in Mexico and Sydney, were held as per the new rules.