RIZVI SHOOTS WORLD MARK, WINS ON WORLD CUP DEBUT

NEWDELHI/KOLKATA: Young Indian shooter Shahzar Rizvi made a splash in his first world level meet, setting a world record to win the men’s 10m air pistol event at the year’s first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday. The Indian Air Force shooter from Meerut beat Germany’s Rio Olympics 25m rapidfire pistol champion Christian Reitz to silver, shooting a record 242.3 in the 24-shot final.

Reitz was second at 239.7 while India’s Jitu Rai shot 219 to win bronze. India’s Om Prakash Mitharval was fourth (198.4)

India won three medals in all. Mehuli Ghosh, 17 and also a World Cup debutant, won bronze in the women’s 10M air rifle with a junior world record score of 228.4. The experienced Apurvi Chandela and Anjum Moudgil also made it to the eight-woman final, finishing seventh and last respectively.

QUALIFYING SECOND

Shahzar shot 579 to qualify second, behind Reitz (588). Jitu Rai was one behind Shahzar while Om Prakash shot 576.

Shahzar upstaged the German early in the final and never conceded the top spot.

Mehuli’s coach Joydeep Karmakar, a former India shooter, said in Kolkata on Sunday.

“That she could reach her personal best at a World Cup event, which was also her first senior event, is a good sign. It shows she is not getting overawed.”

Karmakar said if Ghosh can keep her form, a finals place in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next month is expected.

“Unless there is a disaster, she should make the finals. What happens thereafter will depend on how well she copes with those 24 shots.” Karmakar said Ghosh’s scores have given him hope she can even get India an Olympic quota place in the World Championships in Changwon, South Korea, from August 31-September 15.

SHAHZAR UPSTAGED THE GERMAN EARLY IN THE FINAL AND NEVER CONCEDED THE TOP SPOT