Bhanwala wins bronze and India’s 12th Paris Olympics quota place

New Delhi, October 30

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anish Bhanwala bagged India’s 12th Paris Olympics quota in shooting as he clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 25m rapid pistol fire event at the Asian Championships in Changwon, South Korea, today.

The 21-year-old from Karnal, who had 28 hits in the final, lost a shootout to Japan’s Dai Yoshioka, who won silver. Local favourite Lee Gunhyeok took home gold with a score of 34 in the eight five-shot rapid fire series decider.

Bhanwala fetched the quota for the Paris Games by ending the qualification stage in the third place with a score of 588, just one behind China’s Wang Xinjie, who topped the field. The men’s trap trio also won India a silver medal in the team competition. Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Kynan Chenai (111) and Prithviraj Tondaiman (111) shot a total of 341 to finish behind gold medallists Qatar as Iran took bronze.

India have now picked up 30 medals from the continental event, including eight gold. Bhanwala’s quota was the fifth India have secured in Changwon.