The men’s 10m air pistol team extended India’s impressive show at the Asian Games by shooting another gold but individual success eluded Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Singh Cheema, who fizzled out in the final here Thursday.
The team of Sarabjot, Cheema and Shiva Narwal narrowly beat the Chinese team to take the top podium, earning India’s fourth gold medal from the shooting ranges. With Thursday’s success, Indian shooters have so far won four gold, four silver and five bronze medals.
The Indian trio’s aggregate score of 1734 was just one better than the Chinese team, which settled for the silver medal, while Vietnam, with a score of 1730, bagged the bronze.
Sarabjot and Arjun also made it to the eight-shooter individual finals but finished fourth and eighth respectively.
TEAM GOLD FOR INDIA
It was another fruitful day for Indian shooters, with Sarabjot, who will be celebrating his 22nd birthday on Saturday, giving himself an early birthday gift as he led the air pistol trio to team gold, scoring 580 in the qualification round, while Cheema shot 578 and Narwal amassed 576 to aggregate 1734. In the qualification round, whose aggregate score decides the team medallists, Sarabjot shot cards of 95, 95, 97, 98, 97 and 98 to aggregate 580 and entered the finals at fifth place. Team-mate Cheema shot series of 97, 96, 97, 97, 96 and 95 for his 578 to also make the eight-shooter finals, placed eighth.
Shiva Narwal, the younger brother of 2020 Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist in mixed 50m pistol Manish and the third member of the gold-winning team here, could not make it to the individual finals, finishing 14th.
Narwal shot a series of 92, 96, 97, 99, 97 and 95 for his 576. This was the third team gold at the shooting ranges here after the 10m air rifle top-podium finish and women’s 25-metre pistol gold.
PM Modi congratulates Games winners
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated India’s 10m men’s air pistol team for bagging the gold at the Asian Games and said they have made the country proud. He said, “Another Gold in shooting by our remarkable 10m Air Pistol Men’s team at the Asian Games! Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Singh Cheema and Shiva Narwal have made the entire nation proud with their precision and skill. I congratulate them and wish them the very best for their future endeavours.” Modi also congratulated other medal winners. “Our dedicated and talented Roshibina Devi Naorem has won a Silver Medal in Wushu, Women’s Sanda 60 kg. She has showcased extraordinary talent and relentless pursuit of excellence. Her discipline and determination are also admirable. Congratulations to her,” he said.
