The young Indian shooting brigade sizzled at the Asian Games, dominating the rivals to win two gold and three silver medals on Friday and record their best-ever haul in the continental showpiece.
The shooters, over the last six days, have amassed 18 medals so far, including six gold and seven silver, surpassing the 14 they had won during the 2006 Doha Asian Games in an era dominated by the likes of the legendary Jaspal Rana.
Palak Gulia and Esha Singh made it a one-two in individual women’s 10m air pistol, while the trio of Esha, Palak and Divya won the country a team silver in the event. The triumvirate of Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale and Akhil Sheoran added another team gold in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions.
The 22-year-old Aishwary added another individual silver in rifle 3 positions, fighting an early elimination before finishing second best to a Chinese marksman, who set an Asian Games record.
Swapnil Suresh Kusale, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Akhil Sheoran with their gold medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event. PTI photo
In one of the most trailblazing efforts seen by the Indians, the young duo of Palak and Esha challenged each other for the top spot until 17-year-old Palak clinched the gold medal and Esha the silver. It marked the first time that two Indian shooters have finished one-two on the podium at the Asian Games.
“There’s no rivalry with anybody. My biggest competitor has always been me. I’m always fighting with myself,” Palak said later.
In the 50m rifle arena, the men’s 3-positions team, comprising the young trio of Aishwary (591), Swapnil (591) and Sheoran (587), overcame the Chinese challenge with a world record score of 1769 to grab the top podium finish. They smashed the world record by eight points.
Silver medallists Saketh Myneni and (right) Ramkumar Ramanathan click selfies with fans after the men’s tennis doubles presentation ceremony on Friday. PTI photo
Bopanna & Rutuja to play for gold
Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni settled for the men’s doubles silver medal at the Asian Games after being edged by Taiwan’s Yu-Hsiou Hsu and Jason Jung but India’s hopes of winning a gold from tennis are still alive with the mixed team of Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale reaching the title clash on Friday.
The Taiwanese duo was unseeded, but both Hsu (182) and Jung (231) were better-ranked singles players and it showed in their groundstrokes. They were clinical in a 6-4, 6-4 victory against the second-seeded Indians. Hsu was solid from the baseline with his strong serve, while Jung was lightning-fast at the net.
It is Ramkumar’s first Asian Games medal and third for Myneni, who had won a men’s doubles silver with Sanam Singh and a gold with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles in the 2014 Incheon edition.
The duo of Bopanna and Rutuja outplayed Taiwan’s combine of Chan Hao-ching and Yu-Hsiou Hsu 6-1, 3-6, 10-4 in the mixed doubles semis.
