Teen sensations Anish Bhanwala and Manu Bhaker, who won gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, could not make it to the finals in their respective events at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, Korea.
15-year-old Anish shot 578 to finish 16th in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol while 16-year-old Manu finished 30th with a score of 571 in the women’s 10m air pistol.
Heena Sidhu, who had won the CWG silver in women’s air pistol, shot 574 to finish 14th while Mahima Turhi Agarwal finished 27th with 571.
The 37-year-old five-time Olympian Victoria Chaika of Belarus won the gold with 241.7, overtaking China’s Ji Xiaojing on the very last shot. Xiaojing won the silver with 241.2 while Zorana Arunovic of Serbia took the bronze with 219.2.
In the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, Neeraj Kumar shot 579 to finish 13th in a field of 48 shooters.
Reigning World Champion Junhong Kim of Korea won gold with a world record of 38 in the finals. The 2016 Olympic Champion Christian Reitz of Germany won the silver with 34 while the bronze went to his compatriot Oliver Geis with 29.
The Results:
Men’s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol: 1. Junhong Kim (Korea) 38 WR (586); 2. Christian Reitz (Germany) 34 (584); 3. Oliver Geis (Germany) 29 (587); 13. Neeraj Kumar (India) 579; 16. Anish Bhanwala (India) 578.
Women’s 10m Air Pistol: 1. Victoria Chaika (Belarus) 241.7 (578); 2. Ji Xiaojing (China) 241.2 (576); 3. Zorana Arunovic (Serbia) 219.2 (576); 14. Heena Sidhu (India) 574; 27. Mahima Turhi Agarwal (India) 571; 30. Manu Bhaker (India) 571.
