Jr Shooting World Cup: Dhanush Srikanth saves best for last

PTI

Suhl (Germany), June 5

Dhanush Srikanth came out victorious in the men’s 10m air rifle event here today, giving India their third gold medal of the ISSF Junior World Cup. In a clinical display, Dhanush posted 249.4 in the 24-shot final to leave Sweden’s Pontus Kallin 1.3 points behind. Frenchman Romain Aufrere won the bronze.

India also picked up a bronze in the skeet mixed team competition when Harmehar Lally and Sanjana Sood defeated their Swedish opponents David Jonsson and Felicia Ros in a shoot-off.

India now lead the medal tally with three gold, one silver and two bronze. The USA are second with two gold and one silver.

Three Indians made it to the final of the junior men’s 10m air rifle. Dhanush qualified sixth with a score of 628.4, while Pratham Bhadana was fifth with 628.7. Abhinav Shaw, who won the air rifle mixed team gold yesterday, grabbed the eighth and final spot with a score of 626.7. Abhinav finished seventh, while Pratham was fourth in the final. Dhanush was in a different league and led from the start.

There were two Indian teams in the skeet mixed team event. The pair of Ritu Raj Bundela and Raiza Dhillon finished seventh in qualifying with a score of 134. Harmehar and Sanjana made the bronze medal match with a fourth-place finish and a combined effort of 136. The playoff was an intense battle as after 48 targets per team, both were tied at 37. In the shoot-off, while both the men hit their first targets, Felicia missed one of her doubles and Sanjana took full advantage, nailing hers for a well-earned bronze.