Synopsis
Suruchi and Manu Bhaker excelled in the ISSF World Cup in Peru, with Suruchi winning consecutive gold medals while Manu secured silver. This remarkable achievement highlights India's growing prominence in shooting sports.Key Takeaways
- Suruchi wins back-to-back World Cup golds.
- Manu Bhaker secures silver.
- India dominates the air pistol event.
- Strong performance from the Jhajjar girls.
- Competition held at Las Palmas shooting range.
Peru, April 16 (NationPress) The Jhajjar girls, Suruchi and Manu Bhaker, showcased their exceptional skills at the Las Palmas shooting range, with Suruchi clinching back-to-back World Cup gold medals and leaving the double Olympic medalist Manu to settle for silver.
On the first day of competition at the 2023 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage, Suruchi scored 243.6 in the 24-shot 10m air pistol women’s final, finishing ahead of her esteemed compatriot by 1.3 points. China’s Yao Qianxun secured the bronze medal.
The impressive 1-2 finish for Suruchi and Manu in the women’s air pistol event contributed to India winning one medal of each color, with Saurabh Chaudhary also earning a bronze in the men's category. This achievement positioned India at the top of the leaderboard, while China, having won the men’s air pistol gold, followed in second place.
During the 60-shot qualification round, it was evident that both Indian shooters were in peak form, qualifying comfortably from the 28-strong field. Suruchi finished second with a score of 582, while Manu came in fourth with 578. The third Indian participant, Sainyam, finished 11th with 571.
Suruchi maintained her momentum in the final, quickly moving to second place after the initial five-shot series. Yao started strong, while Manu was in fourth alongside Julieta Jimenez from Uruguay, who performed well.
After the second series of five shots, Yao had Meng Yufei close behind, but Suruchi slipped to third while Manu held her position in fourth.
As the competition progressed, Suruchi particularly excelled, as Meng struggled, allowing the Indian duo to take the top two spots. Manu's mid-to-low scores in her 16th and 17th shots may have compromised her chances of gold, highlighting Suruchi’s consistency throughout.
Yao made a strong comeback to claim bronze, but with only two shots remaining, Suruchi led Manu by 0.7 points. The young shooter maintained her form, outperforming her senior in the final two shots and extending her remarkable streak of success that began with the nationals in December.
