SHYMKENT, KAZAKHSTAN: India’s shooting sensation, Anish Bhanwala, has once again showcased his remarkable talent, securing a silver medal in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event at the ongoing Asian Shooting Championships. The 22-year-old Olympian finished with a score of 35, narrowly missing the top spot by a single point to China’s Su Lianbofan, who took home the gold. Lee Jaekyoon of Korea won the bronze.
In a thrilling final, Bhanwala initially held a one-point lead after the first four series. However, he was unable to maintain the lead, missing a shot in the latter half of the final, which allowed the young Chinese shooter to claim the victory.
Bhanwala’s journey to the final was a testament to his fighting spirit. He had a strong performance in the rapid fire round on Wednesday, shooting a superb 293 to jump from sixth to fourth place in the qualification rounds with an aggregate score of 583. Another Indian competitor, Adarsh Singh, also had a strong showing, finishing fifth in the event.
This individual silver medal is an upgrade for the young Indian shooter, who had won a bronze medal in the same event at the Asian Championships in Changwon, Korea two years ago.
The Indian contingent’s success extended beyond Bhanwala’s individual medal. On Tuesday, the trio of Anish Bhanwala (583), Adarsh Singh (585), and Neeraj Kumar (570) combined for a total of 1738 points to secure the team silver in the rapid fire pistol event. South Korea took the team gold with an aggregate of 1748.
In the non-Olympic men’s 50m pistol event, the Indian team also delivered a strong performance, with the trio of Amanpreet Singh (543), Yogesh Kumar (548), and Ravinder Singh (542) winning a silver with a total score of 1633. Iran won the gold, while South Korea secured the bronze. Individually, Yogesh Kumar finished a commendable fourth, while Amanpreet and Ravinder placed 10th and 11th, respectively.
In the mixed team trap event, the Indian pair of veteran Kynan Chenai and Aashima Ahlawat narrowly missed out on a podium finish, losing the bronze-medal contest to Kazakhstan’s duo of Alisher Aisalbayev and Aizhan Dosmagabetova with a score of 38-34.
India’s junior shooters also contributed to the country’s medal haul. The men’s 50m pistol junior team, comprising Abhinav Choudhary (541), Umesh Choudhary (529), and Mukesh Nelavalli (523), won gold with a total score of 1593 in a two-team contest against Kazakhstan. In the junior trap mixed team event, the pair of Arya Vansh Tyagi and Bhavya Tripathi won a silver after a tight contest against Kazakhstan.
With these latest medals, India’s overall medal tally in the senior section of the championship now stands at 23, including nine gold, placing the country second behind China, who lead the tally with 27 medals.
Anish Bhanwala Secures Silver At Asian Shooting Championships, Continues Impressive Form
