New Delhi: With five gold medals up for grabs, shooters claimed four of them to put India in command on the fourth day of the Asian Shooting Championship in Kazakhstan on Thursday. Abhinav Shaw made a remarkable start shining for the country. By virtue of the medals earned on August 21, India’s total medal tally at the 16th edition of the event rose to 26 after yet another eventful day.
India have cemented their position at the top of the standings with 14 gold medals, 6 silver medals and as many bronze medals. Abhinav Shaw shined for the country beginning the gold medal rush teaming up with Naraen Pranav (third with 631.1) and Himanshu (fourth with 630.9), to shoot 628.1 in qualification, not only clinching a spot in the final for himself.
He also ensured that the trio’s tally of 1890.1 was an Asian as well as a junior world record apart from the gold for India. Shaw then shot a thrilling final starting fifth on the grid after the first five-shot series to take the lead after the second. The last stage proved to be the toughest battle with Lee Hyunseo but the Indian kept his nerves and bagged two high 9s on his 17th and 18th shots to sideline the Korean by 0.1 at the last. The 21st shot with 10.9 proved to be best one.
Meanwhile in the other events, Mansi Raghuwanshi shined at the shotgun ranges winning in the junior women’s skeet final with a tally of 53 out of a possible 6-targets. Compatriot Yashasvi Rathore bagged the silver medal with 52 while Kazakh Lidiya Basharova claimed the bronze. Out of all, Mansi proved to be the strongest catching all her last 10 targets while Yashasvi’s two misses made him settle for silver. Agrima Kanwar, the third Indian in the field, also reached the final to finish sixth.
(With PTI inputs)