CAIRO (Egypt) : India picked up their first gold of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in Cairo, Egypt, when Rhythm Sangwan and Ujjwal combined to defeat the Armenian pair of Elmira Karapetyan and Benik Khlghatyan 17-7 in the 10m air pistol mixed team gold medal match on day two of competitions, at the Egypt International Olympic City Shooting range on Saturday.
Earlier Arjun Babuta and Sonam Uttam Maskar won silver in the 10m air rifle mixed team event as India ended the day with one gold and two silver medals to their kitty. Anuradha Devi had opened the team’s account with a silver in the women’s 10m air pistol.
Rhythm, who won her second consecutive World Cup mixed team gold in Cairo, and Ujjwal finished second behind the Armenian pair in qualifying with a total score of 580. The Armenians were a point ahead.
The Indians however proved far too superior in the final, going up 7-1 very quickly as Benik had a horror final. The closest the Armenians got was when the scores read 11-7, but Rhythm picked up in the later stages and despite low scores all-around, the Indians prevailed 17-7 in the end.
In the air rifle mixed team, Arjun and Sonam had topped qualification, piping the British pair of Dean Bale and Seonaid Mcintosh by a point but then went down 3-9 at the beginning of the race to 16 points final. It was soon 6-12, as whatever the Indians threw at the British pair, they would return in kind.
But Arjun and Sonam held their composure as Dean showed nerves and inexperience and soon it was 14-14. On match point, Mcintosh showed her class and hit a 10.9 and despite solid 10s from the Indians, the British pair snatched gold.
No Indian shooter, however, was able to make the Trap Shooting finals over at the Shotgun ranges.
Zoravar Sandhu shot 118 to finish 12th in the men’s trap even as Bhowneesh Mendiratta (114) and Prithviraj Tondaiman (112) finished further down. In women’s trap, Rajeshwari Kumari was 13th with a score of 110 while Manisha Keer (109) and Bhavya Tripathi (106) finished 15th and 18th respectively.(ANI)