Suruchi Singh Shines at ISSF World Cup Final, Secures Gold in Women's 10m Air Pistol
Suruchi Singh Dominates the Women's 10m Air Pistol Event
In a remarkable display of skill, shooter Suruchi Singh clinched the gold medal in the women's 10m air pistol event, while her fellow competitor Sainyam secured the silver, marking a strong start for India at the ISSF World Cup Final held on Saturday.
Samrat Rana, the reigning world champion in the men's 10m air pistol, narrowly missed out on gold, ultimately finishing with a bronze medal. Varun Tomar, another Indian shooter, placed fourth after a promising beginning.
Following a lackluster performance from the 10m rifle shooters earlier in the day, Suruchi revitalized the atmosphere by scoring an impressive 245.1 in the final, while Sainyam, a former junior world champion, achieved a score of 243.3, ensuring a gold-silver finish for India.
Suruchi expressed her determination after the second series, stating, 'I focused on my performance rather than the score, and it paid off.'
Double Olympic bronze medallist Manu Bhaker also reached the final but finished fifth with a score of 179.2.
Suruchi, who was ranked first in the world in September-October after winning four consecutive World Cup gold medals earlier this year, showcased her exceptional form by finishing second in the qualification round with a total of 586.
Bhaker placed sixth with 578 points, while Sainyam, the 2023 junior world champion, barely qualified for the final, finishing eighth with a score of 573.
In the final, Sainyam initially led the competition but fell behind Suruchi after a series of four subpar scores of 9.5 during the elimination round.
Suruchi, hailing from Jhajjar and the daughter of a Havildar, earned €5,000 for her victory, while Sainyam received €4,000.
Samrat Rana Claims Bronze in Men's Air Pistol
Karnal's Samrat, who recently won the 10m air pistol world championship in Cairo, aimed for another stellar performance in Doha. However, a few poor shots in the final cost him a higher podium finish, allowing China's Hu Kai to take gold.
Samrat remarked, 'Winning bronze in my first World Cup final is a significant achievement for me. I faced challenges in my last few shots, but I enjoyed the experience and feel happy.'
He added that competing against Olympic and World champions boosts his confidence.
Hu Kai, who had previously been bested by Samrat in Cairo, secured gold, while veteran German shooter Christian Reitz took silver.
Samrat scored 221.5 in the final, while Tomar, who won bronze at the Worlds, finished fourth with a total of 201.2.
In the qualification round, Samrat scored 584, placing him second, while Tomar was sixth with 578.
Disappointing Results for Rifle Shooters
India's former world champion Rudrankksh Patil and Paris Olympic finalist Arjun Babuta fell short of medal contention in the men's 10m air rifle, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively.
Elavenil Valarivan also struggled in the women's 10m air rifle, finishing ninth in the qualification round and missing the final.
Rudrankksh, the 2022 world champion, entered the final after placing fourth in qualification with a score of 631.9.
Babuta qualified for the final after finishing third with a score of 633.3, while China's Sheng Lihao, a double Olympic gold medallist, led the field with 637.7.
In the final, Rudrankksh's performance was marred by a single below-par score of 9.8, resulting in a total of 209.9.
Lindgren took gold and €5,000 with a score of 253.0, while Lihao earned silver (252.6) and €4,000.
Hungary's Istvan Peni secured the bronze medal.
Elavenil, fresh off her World Championships bronze in Cairo, finished ninth in qualification with a score of 630.
Zorawar Sandhu, a world championships bronze medallist in trap, placed ninth among 12 shooters after scoring 70/75 on the first day of competition. He will return for two more rounds on Sunday before the six finalists are determined.