Asian Shooting Championships: Anish Bhanwala clinches Olympic quota with 25m rapid pistol fire bronze

Anish Bhanwala fetched the quota for the Paris Games by qualifying for the final as China, Japan and Korea have already exhausted their two Olympic quotas each in the event.

India has won 30 medals from the continental event including eight gold. Bhanwala’s quota was the fifth India have secured in Changwon, and the 12th overall.

New Delhi: Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Anish Bhanwala bagged India’s 12th Paris Olympic quota in shooting as he clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 25m rapid pistol fire event at the Asian Championships in Changwon, Korea on Monday.

The 21-year-old from Karnal, who had 28 hits in the final, lost a shoot out to Japan’s Dai Yoshioka, who won the silver medal.

Local favourite Lee Gunhyeok took home the gold.

Bhanwala fetched the quota for the Paris Games by qualifying for the final as China, Japan and Korea have already exhausted their two Olympic quotas each in the event.

Apart from Bhanwala, all the other shooters who made it to the final were from China, Japan and Korea.

Bhanwala shot 588 to finish third in the qualification stage and move to the final.

Another Indian competing in the event, Bhavesh Shekhawat shot 584 to be among the top-eight in the qualification but could not enter the final as he was competing for ranking points only (RPO). He was not eligible for the final.

Vijayveer Sidhu missed out on making the final, shooting 581 to finish 10th overall while Adarsh Singh was further back in 25th with a score of 570. Olympian Gurpreet Singh, who was playing for ranking points only (RPO), shot 577 to finish 15th overall.

In the junior events, Melvina Joel Gladson won silver in the women’s 50m 3-positions rifle event.

The Men’s Trap trio also won India a silver in the team competition when Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Kynan Chenai and Prithviraj Tondaiman shot a total of 341, to finish three behind gold medallists Qatar as Iran took bronze. Sandhu finished sixth after reaching the individual final.

In the women’s trap, the best Indian performers where the ones who were not in medal contention. Rajeshwari Kumari and Shagun Chowdhary, both playing as RPO shooters, shot 108 and 107 to finish seventh and eighth respectively. Preeti Rajak was next best with 103, giving her 10th spot overall. Manisha Keer (98) and Sabeera Haris (94) were further down the pecking order.

With Thanks Reference to: https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-shooting-championships-anish-bhanwala-clinches-olympic-quota-with-25m-rapid-pistol-fire-bronze-13317902.html