It was business as usual for India's top shooters Monday as they competed in the Olympic team selection trials in New Delhi at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has brought daily life to a grinding halt around much of the world. As the world around them battled the coronavirus pandemic, the sound of shots fired from their guns, rifles and their pistols reverberated across the Karni Singh Shooting Range, tucked away in one corner of the national capital.
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.
It was also Patil's second senior world championship gold in his very first outing, having won the individual 10m air rifle event earlier.
Check out India's schedule on Day 5 of the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, on Monday.
Angad Vir Singh Bajwa won the gold medal with a world record score in the men's skeet final of the 8th Asian Shotgun Championship, becoming the first Indian skeet shooter to win a continental or world level event in Kuwait City on Tuesday.
India's shooter Apurvi Chandela had a gold medal in her grasp before a slip up in the 19th shot pushed her outside the medal bracket at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol stage.
Bhaker shot 244.7 to claim the top prize in the prestigious season-ending tournament
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, in a virtual meet with representatives of various National Sports Federations (NSFs) last week, said competitive sporting events can start without spectators from August.
Anish wins 25m rapid fire pistol gold, silver for Esha at Junior World Cup
India's Akhil Sheoran secured the country's fifth Paris Olympics quota in shooting after winning the bronze medal in men's rifle 3-position competition at the ISSF World Championships in Baku on Sunday.
For someone who took to shooting just a little over two years ago, winning two gold medals at a global event of this magnitude would easily qualify as some achievement.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
Gagan Narang, Jitu Rai and young Mehuli Ghosh failed to make the Indian shooting squad for the upcoming Asian Games, even as a few unheralded faces were picked for the quadrennial extravaganza, starting in Indonesia, from August 18.
Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth won their respective singles matches, while Satwik Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa triumphed in the mixed doubles to help India outclass Malaysia in the final and clinch the gold medal in the Mixed Team badminton gold medal match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The teenager could be the youngest ever to win senior World Cup gold medals for India though the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) could not confirm.
Mehuli Ghosh's effort will, however, not be considered as a world record, as the South Asian Games' results are not recognised by the international body (ISSF) for the purpose of records.
'There is a total stop on everything. Of course, production and export has taken a hit due to the bad situation in Europe'
Bhaker beat a two-time World Cup Finals winner and the host country's Alejandra Zavala, with a 10.8 in the last shot of the 24 shot final, to come out on top with a score of 237.5.
The 15-year-old from Aizwal, who is also a world youth silver-medallist, lifted a total of 274 kg (124 kg +150 kg) to finish on top.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra made the announcement during the send-off ceremony in New Delhi on Monday.
Saurbah Chaudhary would dream of excelling in the Olympic sport one day.
Young shooting sensation Manu Bhaker became the second Indian after judoka Tababi Devi to win two medals at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) after winning a silver while the men's hockey team moved to the semi-finals with a 4-2 win over Poland, in Buenos Aires, on Friday.
Saurabh Chaudhary claimed the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event at the Youth Olympic Games, in Buenos Aires, on Wednesday, capping off the Indian shooting team's best-ever outing in the mega event on a rousing note.
Young Akhil Sheoran clinched the gold medal in men's 50m rifle 3 position with plenty to spare as India continued their superlative run at the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Young Indian shooter Lakshay claimed the silver medal in the men's trap event of the Asian Games, in Palembang, on Monday.
On the last day of the competition, Yash Vardhan and Shreya Agrawal bagged three gold medals each.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
'I was just trying to control my nerves. Nerves do play a big role. I just asked myself to stay calm as it was a matter of few more shots'
Chandela shot an astonishing 252.9 in the eight-women final, finishing 1.1 points ahead of silver medallist China's Ruozhu Zhao (251.8) points.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Indian shooter Manu Bhaker won gold in women's 10m Air Pistol in Youth Olympics on Tuesday.
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.
The 20-year-old's top prize, however, did not translate into an Olympic quota for India as Apurvi Chandela and Anjum Moudgil have already secured the maximum two berths available per country in last year's World Championships.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
The sheer diversity of medal winners was a heartwarming aspect of the Games for India. There were medals from squash, although not gold, there were nine medals from boxing, 12 from wrestling, 16 from shooting and nine from weightlifting.
World rapid champion Viswanathan Anand came up with a fine performance to be placed tied second in the blitz tournament of the Altibox Norway chess tournament, in Stavanger.
The focus is firmly trained on teen sensation Manu Bhaker as the fancied Indian shooting team eyes a head start at the 21st Commonwealth Games
Rediff.com's Norma Godinho and Laxmi Negi glance at the athletes and disciplines likely to win medals for India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The swimmers led India's charge on Saturday by winning 7 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze as they completely dominated the pool yet again.
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