'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manavjit Singh Sandhu won India’s first medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup currently underway in Acapulco. Sandhu settled for bronze after a shootoff for third place with Portugal’s Joao Azevedo. Both shooters scored 12 points out of 15 in the first shootoff. It was in this second shoot-off that the veteran emerged victorious accounting for three targets out of five to Joao's two.
Italy’s Massimo Fabbrisi clinched gold, while Australian Michael Diamond claimed silver.
The sad news for Sandhu however is that he missed out on the Rio Olympics berth by finishing third in the event. Only the first two shooters will directly qualify for the Rio Games.
Prithviraj Tondaiman and Zoravar Singh Sandhu were the other two Indians in the event. They finished in disappointing 24th and 49th positions respectively.
Sandhu was brilliant in the qualifiers as he finished second with a score of 123 in five rounds. Sandhu held his nerve in a tight shootoff that was decided in the last shot. In the gold medal match, Fabbrizi prevailed 12-11 over the experienced Diamond.
Sandhu had won gold here in Acapulco five years ago.
