Manu Bhaker, Anish Bhanwala grab multiple medals at the National Shooting Championships

The 63rd National Shooting Championships underway in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh saw Indian shooting sensations Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala claim multiple gold medals in both Junior and Senior events.

Representing the state of Haryana, the 17-year-old Manu Bhaker won a total of four gold medals in the Women's 10m Air Pistol events in both the individual and team categories to add to her two earlier medals in the competition. On her way to glory, Bhaker also equalled the National qualification record shooting a score of 588 to finish on top, tying the record set by Annu Raj Singh at the South Asian Games.

Bhaker ended up with a score of 243 to emerge triumphant over a field of eight shooters in the final.

Manu Bhaker is the youngest Indian shooter to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup and won the Women's 10 metre Air Pistol at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in her maiden appearance at the event. She has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, securing one of the 15 quota spots for India.

Fellow 17-year old teenager Anish Bhanwala, who also belongs to the state of Haryana, picked up the individual and team gold medals in the Junior and Senior age category events.

Bhanwala had a score of 28 in the Men's Rapid Fire final to clinch the gold medal as he triumphed over Bhavesh Shekhawat of the state of Rajasthan who had a score of 26 for the silver medal. Chandigarh's Vijayveer Sidhu finished in the bronze medal position with a score of 22 in the final.

Bhanwala had shot a score of 582 in the qualifying rounds to finish at the top of the field.