India's teenage shooting sensations extended their dominance in the ongoing ISSF World Cup in New Delhi on Monday, winning the mixed team gold medals in both the 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle events to continue their stupendous run of form in the run-up to this year's Olympics.
'This was due to some issue over time slots as athletes from all competing nations train at the same venue'
Sanjeev could have won the gold but for a poor last shot which saw him miss his second World Cup gold
India have won 12 out of 14 gold medals so far
All of the 15 shooters are capable of winning medals, but few are seen as sure shot to secure podium finishes
Bhaker shot 244.7 to claim the top prize in the prestigious season-ending tournament
Deepak Kumar and Divyansh Singh Panwar finished a lowly 26th and 32nd respectively in the men's 10 metres Air Rifle event of the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday
But new faces, such as world champion 10m air rifle shooter Rudrankksh Patil, Esha Singh (10m air pistol), Sift Kaur Samra and Ashi Chouksey (50m rifle 3-positions) are some of the brightest prospects in the team with a potential to aim for gold, notwithstanding the extremely tough challenge the Chinese will pose in the coming fortnight.
While the performance of pistol shooters was creditworthy, their rifle counterparts were at a different level altogether.
A look at Indian athletes' showing at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, July 27.
The upcoming combined shooting World Cup in New Delhi was on Friday postponed, while an Olympic test event in Tokyo stood cancelled due to the global novel Coronavirus outbreak. The decision comes after the government imposed several restrictions on the entry of travellers from affected countries such as China, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Iran, in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya called the shooting World Cup final, which commenced in New Delhi on Monday, a celebration of excellence and added that the country felt honoured to welcome the best in the business.
Elavenil Valarivan and Anish Bhanwala, two of India's finest young shooters, were on Friday named in a 34-member core group for the Tokyo Olympics. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) released the list of shooters who will be training separately for the quadrennial sporting extravaganza, scheduled to be held next summer after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Games back by a year.
The participation of Indian athletes in Friday's Tokyo Olympic Games opening ceremony will be kept to a 'bare minimum' in view of the COVID-19 threat, while only six officials from the contingent will be allowed to take part in the event.
Former India shooter Shimon Sharif has successfully organised the second edition of the virtual tournament last Saturday and he is optimistic of this becoming a regular affair at a time when the world is under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, he feels similar tournaments can be organised even when normalcy returns, athletes venture out and sporting events resume outdoor.
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A summary of Indian athletes' showing atthe Olympic Games in Tokyo on Sunday.
The results ensured an unprecedented top finish for India across all four ISSF World Cup stages this year
India topped the medals tally ahead of hosts China (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), who won five medals in total.
Participating in the continental tournament as guest invitee, the Indians only shot in the MQS section, and hence, their scores were not considered for medals.
Eating 'tasteless' supplements, undergoing breathing exercises and yoga is not something a teenager would love to do daily but that is the routine of shooter Ramita Jindal who has emerged as a star for India in the Asian Games.
Seven Olympic and six Paralympic disciplines were identified for support at a meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell.
The gold rush continued for Indian shooters at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi as Ganemat Sekhon and Angad Vir Singh Bajwa claimed the skeet mixed team top honours on the fifth competition day on Tuesday.
Nancy was even better, recording a lowest of 10.2 in her final.
Abhishek Verma secured India's fifth Olympic quota place in shooting after winning the 10m air pistol gold medal at the ISSF World Cup, in Beijing, on Saturday. Participating in his maiden International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup final, the Indian led the field throughout the men's 10m air pistol final to clinch the top spot with a total score of 242.7.
The Asian Games organisers' last minute decision to allow only one set of competitors in mixed team shooting events might have robbed India a medal.
Manu Bhaker claimed the gold medal in the women's 10am air pistol, while birthday boy Deepak Kumar gifted himself a bronze medal in men's 10m air rifle at the 14th Asian Championship.
'There is a total stop on everything. Of course, production and export has taken a hit due to the bad situation in Europe'
Three years ago, India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired in Paris.
A trainee of former Olympian shooter Suma Shirur, Avani Lekhara became India's first woman gold medallist at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo on Monday when she shot a total of 249.6 in the 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1.
Check out the complete schedule of Indian athletes at the Tokyo Olympics
The NRAI has sent the names of champion pistol shooters Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma for the prestigious Arjuna Award, according to federation sources.
India has just 28 Olympic medals to its credit since making a debut back in 1900.
Will India finally reach the elusive double-digit mark? Raj Kishore Mishra, former joint secretary at the sports ministry, for one, is willing to stick his neck out on the possibility.
This was Apurvi's second ISSF World Cup gold of the year followed by a world record score in New Delhi in February.
Hitting the target with monotonous regularity, Indian shooters' dominance in a phenomenal 2019, at times, made world events look like domestic tourneys. Indian shooting's best show at the Olympics remains the two medals won at London in 2012, but if the shooters' exploits in recent months are anything to go by, the country can easily emulate or better that in Tokyo.
P V Sindhu opens her campaign in the China Open women's singles against Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia, in Fuzhou, China, on Tuesday.
Rajput, representing Haryana, shot a solid 1176 to top qualification before a sublime 459.6 to seal gold, while Maharashtra's Rahi shot 41 in the final to dominate Manu Bhaker, who shot 32 for the silver.
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