Indian shooters faced a tough outing at the ISSF World Cup (rifle/pistol) on Wednesday, failing to qualify for the men’s 10m air pistol final.
Despite a strong effort, Samrat Rana, Amit Sharma, and Nishant Rawat couldn’t break into the top ranks as China extended its dominance in the event.
Samrat Rana, a former junior world championship gold medallist, was India’s best performer, finishing 10th in qualification with a score of 582. China’s Hu Kai topped the chart with 589 and clinched gold with a final score of 242.3, followed by You Changjie who secured silver with 241.5.
Amit Sharma, who had earlier competed in the mixed team event, finished 28th with 576, while Nishant Rawat ended up 42nd with 568. India’s medal tally remains empty as China continues to lead with two golds and two silvers.
However, there was a silver lining in the women’s 25m pistol event. Divya TS impressed in the precision round, scoring 291 and placing seventh among 37 shooters. She remains in contention for the final after the rapid-fire stage. Rahi Sarnobat and Abhidnya Patil also participated but face an uphill battle to qualify.
The competition continues tomorrow, with hopes pinned on Divya TS to break India’s medal drought.
