ISSF World Cup: Manu Bhaker shoots gold, Ravi Kumar bags bronze; India firmly on top of medals tally

Manu Bhaker, who recently earned a quota place for the Beunos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games scheduled for October, won a sensational Gold in the Women’s 10M Air Pistol, to put India firmly on top of the medals tally in the year’s first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup stage in Mexico’s Guadalajara on Sunday.

Manu beat the host country’s Alejandra Zavala, a two-time World Cup Finals winner, with a 10.8 in the last shot of the 24 shot final, to come out on top with a score of 237.5. Zavala ended at 237.1 while Celine Goberville of France won the Bronze with a score of 217.0. India’s Yashaswini Singh Deswal missed out on a medal, finishing fourth with 196.1.

At the end of competition day two, India’s medal tally now stands at five and their two Golds and three Bronzes have perched them on the very top with no country managing to win more than one medal so far.

Reacting after winning the medal, Manu Bhaker said, " I am extremely happy at winning Gold, especially as this is my first World Cup. I look forward to perform even better in upcoming competitions."

Earlier in the day, Ravi Kumar won his first World Cup medal- a Bronze in the Men’s 10M Air Rifle event.

Ravi had made it to three finals last year, including in the World Cup Finals, without winning a medal. He shot 226.4 and had to beat compatriot Deepak Kumar in a shoot-off for third and fourth spots in the final. Talented young Hungarian Istvan Peni, the world number one, won the Gold, shooting 249.5 while Austria’s Alexander Schmirl won Silver finishing with 248.7