Doha: Gold medallist Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and silver winner Mairaj Ahmad Khan added to India’s rich Olympic quota haul with a sensational 1-2 finish in the men’s skeet event at the 14th Asian Championship here Sunday.
Their medals ensured India secured an unprecedented 15 quota places for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
There was a shoot-off for the gold medal and Bajwa prevailed 6-5 against his compatriot after both were tied on 56 at the Lusail Shooting Complex.
This is India’s best-ever Olympic quota haul, easily surpassing the 12 at the 2016 Rio Games and 11 in London in 2012.
India won three quotas Sunday, including teenager Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar’s bronze in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions.
“15 quotas and a very special 1st & 2nd in Skeet. Angad and Mairaj — Bravo boys super proud of you two. Way to go team India you exceeded my estimate by an additional quota!” National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Raninder Singh tweeted.
Meanwhile, continuing India’s impressive performance at the prestigious championship, the duo of Manu Bhaker and Abhishek Verma got the better of compatriots Saurabh Chaudhary and Yashaswini Singh Deswal 16-10 to win the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Bhaker and Verma shot 577 and 387 in the two qualifications, while Chaudhary and Deswal managed 576 and 387.
Before India’s exploits in the mixed event, the 18-year-old Tomar shot 449.1 in the eight-man final to finish third on the podium, behind gold medallist Kim Jonghyun (459.9) of Korea and Chinese Zhonghao Zhao (459.1).
PTI
