Saurabh smashes junior record forgoldatworlds

Asian Games gold medallist betters his own 10m air pistol mark

CHANGWON, SOUTH KOREA: India’s Saurabh Chaudhary claimed a record-shattering gold in the junior 10m air pistol event but Abhishek Verma missed out on an Olympic quota after finishing eighth in the senior competition of the ISSF World Championship here on Thursday.

While they failed to impress individually, the senior shooters, including Verma, won silver in the 10m air pistol event. Asian Games bronze medallist Verma had shot 583 in the qualification.

Arjun Singh Cheema settled for a bronze in Chaudhary’s event and the Indian team took the silver, propelled by the 16-year-old Asian Games gold medallist’s phenomenal individual performance.

India also picked up a silver medal in the junior men’s trap team competition with Aman Ali Elahi, Vivaan Kapoor and Manavaditya Singh Rathore shooting a combined score of 348 to finish second behind Australia.

In the senior competition, Verma, Om Prakash Mitharwal, who claimed the 50m pistol gold, and Shahzar Rizvi went on to clinch the team silver with a combined score of 1738 in men’s 10m air pistol.

The 16-year-old Chaudhary, who won the Asiad gold last month, qualified third with a score of 581 before shooting down his own world record with a score of 245.5 in the final. Singh managed 218 once the field was pruned to eight following the qualifying round.

Chaudhary first set a world record in the 10m air pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup in June.

Korean Hojin Lim, who made the finals as the top qualifier, finished second with a final score of 243.1 for the silver medal.

The Indian team of Chaudhary, Singh and Anmol, who could not make the individual final, claimed the silver with a combined score of 1730.

The gold was snared by the Korean team, which broke the world record with its total of 1732. Russia picked up the bronze with a score of 1711.

However, there was disappointment for senior shooters in the individual competition of the 10m air pistol event. Asiad bronze-medallist Abhishek Verma raised hopes for a medal by qualifying third for the 10m air pistol event for men.

However, the lawyer-cummarksman disappointed with an eighth place finish in the final after shooting a score of 118.

Korea’s Jin Jongoh claimed the gold in this event. The local favourite was tied on a score of 241.5 with Russia’s Artem Chernousov but prevailed in the shoot-off.

India did not return empty handed though with the team of Abhishek Verma, Om Prakash Mitharwal, who claimed the 50m pistol gold, and Shahzar Rizvi pocketing the team silver with a combined score of 1738.

In the junior trap section, Aman shot the best among the trio, his 118 in qualification taking him to the six-man final. He ended sixth. Aman had to also overcome a four-man shoot-off to get to the final.

In women’s trap, Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Shreyasi Singh managed 110 out of 125 to finish 34th, followed by Seema Tomar (108 out of 125 to finish 41st) and Varsha Verman (107 out of 125 to finish 42nd). The team signed off eighth with a combined score of 325.

India ended day five with an overall total of 14 medals which includes four gold, six silver and four bronze. So far, Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela are the only Indian shooters to secure quota places for the Olympics by winning a silver and finishing fourth respectively in the women’s 10m air rifle event.

INDIAN RAILWAYS, INDIAN NAVY POST WINS

CHENNAI:INDIAN Railways defeated Mumbai Hockey Association 2-1 in a Pool ‘A’ game in the 92nd Allindia MCC - Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey. In a match in Pool ‘B’, Chennai Hockey Association went down 2-3 to Indian Navy.

Railways went ahead in the 15th minute through a field goal by Kunwar Dilraj Singh before the Mumbai side equalised in the 41st minute through captain Victo Singh. Ajmer Singh scored a goal in the 62nd minute to give the Railways team a victory.

PEERLESS STUN EAST BENGAL

KOLKATA: East Bengal suffered a big jolt to their title defence after a shocking 1-2 loss to Peerless SC in the local league. The loss gives an edge to the title aspiration of Mohun Bagan who are eyeing their first Premier Division ‘A’ title since 2009. With 23 points, Bagan are three clear of their rivals with two matches to go.

FC PUNE CITY DRAW WITH FC GOA

VASCO:INDIAN Super League franchises FC Pune City and FC Goa played out a high-scoring 3-3 draw in their second game of the AWES Cup. FC Pune City will next face Dempo SC on September 9. The club is in training in Goa and participating in this tournament in the run up to the ISL which starts on September 29.