Anish wins 25m pistol gold

Sydney, March 26 

Rising shooter Anish Bhanwala secured India a third individual gold medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup when the 15-year-old finished atop the podium in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event here on Monday.

Having qualified for the final with the highest score, Bhanwala prevailed over two of his India teammates — Anhad Jawanda and Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu — and three Chinese participants in the medal round.

India are now placed second in the overall standings with 15 medals — six gold, three silver and six bronze — behind China and ahead of top shooting nations such as Italy and hosts Australia.

In the team event, China secured the gold medal and set a new junior world record with 1733 points, while Bhanwala, Jawanda and Adarsh Singh took the silver medal. The bronze medal was awarded to another Indian team comprising Sandhu, Japtyesh Singh Jaspal and Mandeep Singh.

Bhanwala, who was placed seventh in this event at the ISSF World Cup Stage 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico, earlier this month, led from start. He was the only shooter able to nail a perfect 5-hit series during the whole final.

After recording the highest qualification score with 585 points, Bhanwala concluded with 29 total hits, pocketing the first international gold medal of his career.

China’s 19-year-old Cheng Zhipeng took the silver with 27 hits, adding to the bronze he won at last year’s ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany. Another Chinese shooter, 20-year-old Zhang Jueming, finished with 23 and claimed the bronze medal in his first Junior World Cup start.

Appearing in his second final at the ISSF Junior World Cup, Jawanda finished fourth with 17 hits, improving from his seventh-place finish in the air pistol event two days ago.

China’s 19-year-old Pan Junchen scored 12 hits and took the fifth place in his first Junior World Cup start.

Eliminated after four series, India’s 15-year-old Sandhu signed off with seven points and was placed sixth in the first international appearance of his career. — PTI