New Delhi, April 4 Senior pro and Asian Games medalist Chain Singh, helped India earn their first medal of the on-going International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage being held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, winning bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P), the first final on schedule on competition day two.
Hungarian Istvan Peni won gold (461.0), his seventh ISSF gold, while China’s Tian Jiaming (458.8) won silver, as Chain bowed out in third, after the penultimate shot of the 45-shot final with his score reading 443.7.
Earlier all three Indians led by two-time Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar, besides Rio Olympian Chain, had qualified for the final, which had among others, reigning world champion Alexander Schmirl of Austria, in one of the starting lanes.
Aishwary qualified second ahead of the experienced Chain in third. Both shot identical scores of 589, with Chain giving up a spot, on accuracy. Niraj was fifth with 587.
While Niraj started the final strongest lying second after the first five shots in the Kneeling position, he soon faded away as Tomar and Singh picked up.
The duo was fifth and sixth after first Kneeling position, moved up to third and fourth after a superb Prone position effort and held firm in the final Standing position to ensure a medal for India.
Tomar lost out on a medal after a 7.8 for his 41st shot, even as Peni and Tian were fighting solo battles for gold and silver respectively. Schmirl too bowed out in fifth after the 42nd as Chain confirmed a popular medal. He was back with an ISSF medal after three years.
The day also saw the first Precision round of the women’s 25m pistol qualifiers and double Olympics bronze medalist Manu Bhaker returned a score of 291 out of a possible 300 to lie fourth. Compatriot Simranpreet Kaur Brar was also in qualifying position, shooting 290 to take sixth place currently. Esha Singh shot 285 to be a bit off the pace at 12th.
Also on day two of the Skeet competitions and Paris Olympian Raiza Dhillon was the best Indian on show with a score of 71 after three rounds to lie seventh, just two off the lead.
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