Olympic medalist Gagan Narang added the one international multi-sport event medal missing from his cabinet as Indian shooters went on to sweep all the Gold medals (five) on offer, on day two of the shooting competition at the XII South Asian Games being held simultaneously in Guwahati and Shillong.
Gagan struck Gold along with Chain Singh and Surendra Singh Rathod in the Men’s 50M Rifle prone team category, before being upstaged by Chain Singh in the individual competition of the same event to settle for Silver. Chain shot 204.6 to Gagan’s 203.7 in the finals while Umar Siddique of Pakistan shot 182.2 to win the Bronze medal.
The third Gold for India in the sport came through veteran Samaresh Jung who shot 580 in the Men’s Centre Fire Pistol to edge out another veteran Pemba Tamang who shot 579. It was a clean sweep for India as Olympic silver medalist Vijay Kumar shot 577 to secure the Bronze medal.
Indian women’s team beat Pakistan
In the final event of the day, the Women’s 50M Rifle prone, Team India comprising of Kuheli Gangulee, Lajja Gauswami and Anuja Jung shot a combined score of 1835.6 to win the Gold medal ahead of Pakistan who managed a total of 1805.4.
Sri Lanka won the Bronze with a score of 1801.8. Kuheli also won the fifth and final Gold of the day for India when she triumphed in the Women’s 50M Rifle prone individual competition.
She shot 619.9 to lead yet another clean sweep for India with Lajja winning Silver with 608.2 and Anuja the Bronze with a score of 607.5.
With this performance. India’s medal tally from Shooting at the games go up to 17 with eight Gold, six Silver and three Bronze medals in their kitty.
In the 50M Rifle Prone Team event Chain, Gagan and Surendra Singh Rathod shot a combined total of 1871.5 to win Gold. Pakistan won the Silver with a combined team total of 1838.2 while Sri Lanka landed the Bronze shooting a combined score of 1825.7.
In the individual event, while Gagan had qualified for the eight-man final in top position, international Rifle teammate Chain upstaged him to clinch Gold.
