Hangzhou: Indian shooters continued their triumphant at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, securing two gold and one silver medal on Day 6. The men’s 50m rifle 3 position event saw Swapnil Kusale, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, and Akhil Sheoran clinch the gold with a world record cumulative total of 1769. India’s dominance was so evident that their victory was sealed even before the completion of the standing position round.
Aishwary and Swapnil not only secured the top two spots in the individual qualification round with scores of 591 each but also shattered the Games records. Swapnil secured the lead due to more inner 10s (closer to the inner circle), showcasing the precision and skill of the Indian shooters. Despite finishing 5th, Akhil Sheoran narrowly missed qualifying for the individual finals, as only the top two from each team, finishing in the top 8, advanced. The final of the individual event was set to take place at 11:30 a.m. IST.
Adding to India’s shooting triumph, 17-year-old Palak Gulia claimed gold in the individual women’s 10 metre air pistol event, followed by Esha Singh securing silver. This dynamic duo, along with Divya TS, also bagged a silver in the team event. In the women’s rifle 3 position team event, Esha, Palak, and Divya clinched another silver, bringing India’s overall shooting medal tally to an impressive 17, including six golds.
The young shooters showcased exceptional skill and nerves of steel in the individual final. Palak set a new Games record with a score of 242.1, closely followed by Esha at 239.7. This victory added to Esha’s earlier silver in the women’s individual 25-metre pistol event and the gold claimed by the trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha, and Rhythm Sangwan in the women’s 25-metre pistol team event.
In the team events, India’s women shooters faced tough competition from China, who set an Asian Games record in the women’s rifle 3-position team event. Despite the silver, the Indian team displayed commendable teamwork and individual brilliance.
India’s shooting contingent has undeniably been the shining star at the Asian Games, accumulating an impressive 17 medals, with six golds.
India’s medal tally now reads:
Gold: 8
Silver: 11
Bronze: 11
Total : 30
Medal tally of each countries till day 6 of Asian Games 2023:
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