Manu Bhaker won India’s first medal at the ongoing season-ending International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Final with a gold in women’s 10m air pistol on Thursday. The 17-year-old shot a junior world record score of 244.7 to top the podium in a tough field in Putian, China.
A day after narrowly missing out on a final spot in women’s 25m air pistol, the teenager bounced back in style. Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic won the silver with 241.9, while Quian Wang of China bagged the bronze with 221.8.
Former world junior champion Yashaswini Deswal finished sixth in the final round. Both Bhaker and Deswal have already won an 2020 Tokyo Olympics quota place for India in the discipline.
Earlier in qualification, both Indian youngsters had made it to the final on the last two positions. Deswal was seventh in the field with a total of 578 (25x) while Bhaker finished eighth with a score of 578 (13x).
In the men’s 10m air pistol final, both Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma bowed out in the final. The Indian duo had won all four World Cup gold medals this year, but were eliminated in sixth and fifth position respectively in the final.
Earlier, Verma topped the qualifications with 588 while Chaudhary was seventh with 581.
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