Manu Bhaker's effort was six points higher than the world record held by Yang Jin of Korea.
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At the prestigious Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tughlakabad, sharpshooter Manu Bhaker demonstrated her prowess during the women’s 25-meter sports pistol final. Remarkably, Bhaker fired an impressive score of 47 out of 50, exceeding the world record by six points, which is currently held by Korea’s Yang Jin. Her performance included seven rounds with perfect scores and three rounds where she scored 4.
Despite her remarkable performance, under the prevailing selection criteria, her win secures her an additional 0.60 points to her score. In the same competition, Rhythm Sangwan, known for setting the world record with a score of 59.5, managed to secure second place, confirming her strong form. Sangwan’s effort was followed by Abhidnya Patil, Simranpreet Kaur Brar, and the top contender in the qualification round, Esha Singh, who achieved a score of 58.5.
At 20, Rhythm Sangwan, who scored 57.4 in the qualifying round, faces the challenge of keeping pace with her fellow competitors, including Esha Singh and Simranpreet Kaur Brar. Notably, the selection process offers the athletes the opportunity to discount their lowest score from the four scheduled selection trials.
In an interesting twist, the current policy does not acknowledge world records or rankings with additional points. Nevertheless, Manu Bhaker, Sangwan, and Singh continue to compete fiercely for Olympic qualification in both sports pistol and air pistol disciplines. Meanwhile, in the men’s 25-meter rapid-fire pistol category, Anish Bhanwala secured the top position by outshooting Vijayveer Sidhu with a score of 33 to 27.
Adarsh Singh claimed the third spot while Bhavesh Shekhawat, despite leading in qualifications with a score of 58.0, finished behind. The continuation of these events is scheduled to unfold over the ensuing two days for the second round of trials, with the subsequent third and fourth trials slated for May in Bhopal.
The selection process for India’s rifle and pistol marksmen aiming for a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics is beginning with competitions taking place at Dr. Karni Singh shooting range in New Delhi, starting on April 19 and concluding on April 27. This nine-day event will host the first two out of four qualifying rounds that the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has planned.
Ingenuity will be on full display as 37 elite Indian shooters go head-to-head across eight individual Olympic events, split equally between rifle and pistol categories. These participants have been chosen through national rankings as of February 29 and have satisfied the NRAI’s rigorous selection standards. Their ultimate goal: is to earn points across these trials and secure their Olympic dreams.
The triumvirate of top scores from these four trials and bonus points for those already holding an Olympic quota will form the final average score (fas) for each shooter. This fas will determine their rank and, subsequently, their eligibility for an Olympic quota. India currently boasts all 16 available Paris 2024 shooting quotas in rifle and pistol events.
Meanwhile, the country’s shotgun enthusiasts have clinched four quotas and will vie for additional slots at the ISSF final shotgun qualifiers starting this Friday in Doha. Fresh from winning an Olympic quota at the ISSF final Olympic qualification championship in Rio de Janeiro, Palak Gulia will join forces with noteworthy sharpshooters Manu Bhaker, rhythm Sangwan, and Esha Singh in the women’s 10m air pistol event.
Bhaker, Sangwan, and Singh have also earned their stripes to compete in the women’s 25m pistol trials. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, India’s shining star at the 2023 Asian games, will compete against Swapnil Kusale and Akhil Sheoran in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions. Medalists from the Asian games, sift Kaur Samra and Ashi Chouksey, are slated to challenge Olympian Anjum Moudgil in the women’s 50m rifle 3p.
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