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What's the story?
India's impressive stint at the 7th Asian Shotgun Championship was carried further with Ankur Mittal bagging his gold medal at the men's individual as well as double trap event held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The country, therefore, received its fourth medal so far. Mittal's team mates in the men's doubles were Mohammed Asab and Sangram Dahiya who performed to the best of their abilities to match up to the brilliance of Mittal.
In case you didn't know
The Indian youngsters have taken in their stride to show their mettle at the championship this year. Earlier this year, Mittal had already clinched a gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Acapulco, Mexico, beating his Australian rival James Willet.
Before this, he claimed a silver in the inaugural world cup of the season held in New Delhi, where Willet had won his gold. While Willet managed 73 points, Mittal managed a 75 out of a possible 80 in order to achieve his first medal for the country.
It can also be recalled that Seema Topar had won a gold alongside her team comprising Shagun Chaudhury and Shreyasi Singh in the women's trap event. Adding to India's pride was Manavaditya Rathore, the son of Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who emerged as the winner of the junior trap event.
The heart of the matter
The 22-year-old managed to bag a gold not only for the individual event, but also the doubles. In the individual event, he shot 71 in the 6th man final in order to emerge at the top. In the team event, the scores of Mohammed Asab (34) and Sangram Dahiya (43), added to the final count of Ankur Mittal so as to come out as winners.
Bagging the silver was UAE’s Khaled Alkaabi (70) in the men’s double trap event, while Saif Alshamsy (53) won his bronze. Dahiya managed to finish fourth in the individual event, while Asab came fifth.
What's next?
India has witnessed a successful spell as far as sports has been concerned this year. With India's young talent showcasing their abilities and emerging victorious in various events, a brighter future for Indian sports is much anticipated.
Author's take
After clinching his gold in Mexico against James Willet, as well as bagging his silver in Delhi, Ankur Mittal had already set a standard for Indian shooters. Therefore, his victorious performance in Kazakhstan not only lived up to but also exceeded the expectations of the sporting world.
