The Indian team of Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary failed to qualify for the mixed team 10m air pistol final at the Tokyo Olympics.
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The Indian team of Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary failed to qualify for the mixed team 10m air pistol final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday (July 27).
Hopes were high as the young pair began the qualifiers well. In the first qualifying round, they finished on top of the standings to be one of eight teams to make it to the next round. (Tokyo 2020 full coverage)
However, the second round of qualifying was a disappointment. The format sees the top 2 compete for the gold and silver medal, with the teams finishing 3rd and 4th competing for the bronze.
But the Indian shooters started poorly and were eighth after the first round. They did improve in the second round and at one point were fifth, one position shy from competing for a medal.
Yet by the end of the round they were 7th and out of the medal race.
Chaudhary, who finished 7th in the medal round of the men’s 10m pistol event, was in fine form here. He finished the second round with scores of 96 and 98. By contrast, Bhaker scored 92 and 94.
The young Indian female shooter shot one too many 9s and 8s at a time when the teams who finished on top were regularly scoring 10s. This came back to haunt India in the end.
Another Indian pairing of Abhishek Verma and Yashaswini Singh Deswal did not make it past the first round.
Heading into the Games, there was plenty of hope from the shooting contingent. The team contains a mix of youthful prospects and veterans who have big-game experience.
However, so far the sport has been quite the mixed bag for India. So far, no medals have come from the sport. The 10m air rifle event saw medal contenders Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan crash out.
There was even more heartbreak in store as Abhishek Verma crashed out in the 10m air pistol. Saurabh Chaudhary gave 1.3 billion Indians plenty to smile as he topped the qualifying to move into the medal round.
But, in the medal stage, he finished seventh as the pressure of the situation got to him.
Indian skeet shooters Mairaj Ahmed Khan and Angad Vir Singh were also unable to break the jinx.
The Tokyo Olympics, delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now up and running. The Games have not been without their share of controversies, however.
The event is happening despite plenty of protests from the Japanese people against it. And the angst is not without reason. Tokyo is currently in a state of emergency due to a rise in COVID cases.
The Games will by and large be played out in the absence of fans, always a major psychological blow to athletes. There’s also been a number of cases reported in the Olympic village itself.
Nevertheless, the Games remain an event that many around the world will be keen to watch. From July 23 to August 8, many will be hooked onto their televisions to follow the events.
