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What’s the story?
Indian shooter Ankur Mittal has climbed to the top of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) rankings, surging past the experienced Vitaly Fokeev in the men’s double trap section, on Monday.
While Mittal sits atop the double trap rankings, the next best Indians on the charts are Shapath Bharadwaj and Sangram Dahiya at number 27 and 30, respectively.
Heart of the matter
Mittal’s recent climb in the rankings comes after his silver-medal-winning effort at the World Shotgun Championship in Moscow last month.
Italy were the winners of the World Shotgun Championship 2017, clinching six gold medals, one silver, and two bronze. They were followed by the United States and Russia.
Meanwhile, Ankur’s silver-medal-performance at the even propelled India up to the eighth spot, tied with the likes of Finland, Germany and Great Britain.
In case you didn’t know
Mittal had a rather stiff challenge from world no 2 Fokeev, who was shooting in front of his home crowd in Moscow, last month. The Russian pipped Mittal by four points in the final, to clinch gold.
However, Mittal’s performance in the qualifiers, where he came out as the top shooter with 145 points, could have earned him the extra points in the ISSF charts.
The 25-year-old carried forward his good performance from the qualifiers to the final event, staying in the lead till the last four shots. However, Fokeev shot into the lead in the end, to clinch the gold medal.
What’s next?
This shift in rankings comes at a good time for Mittal and the Indian sports fans, as the 25-yar-old is next set to take part in the ISSF World Cup Final, set to commence in New Delhi from October 23.
Author’s take:
While Mittal this shift in ranking certainly makes Mittal one of the favourites for the upcoming World Cup final in New Delhi, we could also look forward to a new rivalry between the 25-year-old and Russian veteran Fokeev, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Mittal, last month.
