Harpal Singh Bedi / New Delhi
Gurnihal Singh Garcha became the first Indian to win an individual Bronze in the junior skeet event in the 52nd ISSF World Championship in Changwon, Korea Today.
According to in formation received here, Gurnihal along with Ayush Rudraraju and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, also bagged the silver in Junior Skeet Team category..
With these two medals, India’s medal has risen to 22 after day 10
In the qualification round Gurnihal and Ayush shot identical scores of 119 to get into a four way shoot-off to determine the last two final qualifying spots.
Ayush missed out with a seventh place finish while Gurnihal claimed the sixth and final qualifying spot.
The highest bib number of six was in the end responsible for the gallant Gurnihal missing out on a higher medal as he tied with eventual Gold medalist Elia Sdruccioli of Italy and Silver medalist Nic Moschetti of the USA at the end of 50 shots on 46 hits apiece. The Italian finished with 55 out of 60 shots to the Americans 54.
Gurnihal shot a solid final, leading the field with first with 28 hits out of 30, then 38 out of 40 and finally 43 out of the first 46 shots, needing four out of four to ensure a fight for Gold and Silver. He managed three eventually to settle for Bronze.
The Junior Skeet team also settled for the Silver medal after being in pole position for the majority of the competition, finishing behind the Czech Republic by a point. Anat Jeet’s 13thplace score of 117 combined with that of Gurnihal’s and Ayush’s for a total of 355.
In junior Woimen’s 50m Rifle 3P; Bhakti Bhaskar Khamkar shot 1132, Shirin Godara 1130 and Ayushi Podder 1121 in qualification to finish 46th,49 and 55th respectively.
The team was placed 14thwith a combined score of 3383
In women skeet: Rashmmi Rathore shot 108 ,Maheshwari Chauhan 106,And Ganemat Sekhon 105 in qualifications to be placed 41st,49th and 50th respectively.
Team finished 9thwith a combined score of 319
Before this edition of the Championship, India had won all its shotgun medals in the Trap and Double Trap disciplines. This is the first time that Indian Skeet shooters will come back with medals from world competition.