New Delhi: Anish Bhanwala could not make up for Manu Bhaker and Heena Sidhu’s failure to reach the women’s 10m air pistol final, finishing fifth in his event on a lacklustre day for India in the ISSF World Cup here Tuesday.
Anish, who was placed fifth in the qualification too, shot a total of 14 to finish outside the podium in the six-man final of the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol competition. The event started 20 minutes late due to a technical snag in one of the targets.
The International Shooting Federation (ISSF) has offered to reimburse all the expenses of the winner and runner-up in this event since its Olympic quota status was withdrawn after Pakistani shooters were denied visa in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack.
Hoping to make up for her meltdown in the 25m pistol final, the 17-year-old Bhaker was in for more disappointment, finishing a lowly 14th with 573 in the qualifications. The more experienced Heena Sidhu suffered a similar fate and was placed 25th with 571. Shooting in her maiden World Cup, Anuradha, employed with the Indian Navy, was 22nd with 571.
Hungary’s Veronika Major (245.1) won the gold medal in women’s 10am air pistol ahead of Taipei’s Chia Ying Wu (238.4) and Korean Bomi Kim (218.3).
In the day’s last final, men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, Olympic champion Christian Reitz of Germany claimed the gold medal while World champion and No.1 Junmin Lin of China claimed the silver.The bronze went to Korea’s Junhong Kim (22).
Anish, started with 3 each in the first two series before hitting all the targets in the third series. However, four misses in the next series pulled him down and it became an uphill task for him from thereon. The 16-year-old survived a shoot-off with France’s Clement Bessaguet, but a 3 in the next series was not enough to keep him in the hunt.
