India’s Hriday Hazarika and Nancy bagged silver medals in the men and women 10m air rifle events, respectively, at the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This is also, in fact, Hriday and Nancy first senior World Cup medal. Hriday, 21, has previously won a junior World Championship gold in 2018 and two junior World Cup medals (gold in Suhl 2018 and bronze in Suhl 2019). The 19-year-old Nancy has two junior Cairo 2022 World Championship medals (gold and bronze).
Hriday made the cut for the top-eight with a qualification score of 630.3. He shot very well in the final to finish only below Hungary Zalan Pekler (252.4). China Sheng Lihao, who made a new qualification World Record of 637.9, won bronze with 230.5 in the final.
Reigning world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil with 628.8 and Tushar Shahu Mane with 628.1, finished 23rd and 28th, respectively.
Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar, placed third with 633.1, and Arjun Babuta, seventh with 630.6, competed for ranking points only (RPO).
In women’s 10m air rifle, Nancy made it to the final after finishing eighth in the qualification with 631.6. In the final, Nancy shot 253.3 to secure the silver.
Young Chinese shooter Han Jiayu won the gold with 254 while her compatriot and two-time world championships gold medallist Huang Yuting was third with 232.5.
The other Indian’s in the fray, Ramita Jindal (631.4), Tilottama Sen (629.6), Elavenil Valarivan (628.2) Narmada Nithin (627.4) could not make it to the final.
The latest podium finishes take India medal count to four after Sarabjot Singh-Divya Subbaraju Thadigol’s gold in 10m air pistol mixed team and Rhythm Sangwan bronze in women’s 10m air pistol.