Deaflympics 2021: Fourth gold for India as Priyesha Deshmukh, Dhanush Srikanth win mixed air rifle

On the sixth day of the ongoing Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, India picked up its sixth medal and fourth gold. This time the prized medal came in the mixed 10m air rifle event.

Priyesha Deshmukh paired up with Dhanush Srikanth to beat Germany’s Sabrina Eckert and Sebastian Herrmany 16-10 for the gold medal.

Off the six medals India has won so far at the event, five have come from shooting, as have three of the four gold medals won. In fact, Dhanush was the first Indian at this edition of the Deaflympics to win gold, when he claimed the individual men’s 10m air rifle crown.

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On Saturday he won his second gold medal, pairing up with Deshmukh who had finished fourth in her individual event.

The duo though combined well throughout the mixed event, topping the qualification round as well with a combined score of 414.0, and then later out-shooting the German team.

India’s other medals have come through the badminton team winning gold, Abhinav Deshwal winning gold as well in the men’s 10m air pistol event, and Shourya Saini and Vedika Sharma winning bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle and women’s 10m air pistol events respectively.