India’s Akhil Sheoran bagged the bronze medal in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions at the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on Sunday.

The 28-year-old also secured a 2024 Paris Olympics quota place for India in the event.

Sheoran, who finished sixth in the qualification round, was placed sixth after the kneeling series in the final. He, however, climbed up to the second spot after a stunning display in the prone position.

The Indian kept swapping places with the eventual silver medallist Petr Nymbursky and was leading the Czech Republican with just one shot left to decide the bronze medallist.

Sheoran could only register a score of 9.5 with his final shot in the competition meant that he had to settle for the bronze medal by 0.1 point.

“It really means a lot to me. We have been working so hard all these years for this. The Worlds come once in four years. To win a medal and a quota as well is really very satisfying. I could have pushed a bit more in the end for silver or gold, although the distance for gold was a bit more,” he told ISSF after the win.

Earlier in the day, Sheoran had also combined with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar to clinch the men’s team gold in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions with a total of 1750.

Both Tomar and Kumar failed to advance to the final as they finished 13th and 40th respectively in the qualification round.

Women’s 25m pistol team wins gold

The Indian women’s 25m pistol team comprising Rhythm Sangwan, Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh also won the team gold in the event with a total of 1744.

In the first precision round on Saturday, Singh had been the best among them with a steady 288 out of 300, which gave her 29th place. Bhaker had shot 287 and was in 38th spot while Sangwan was furthest back on 69th spot with a round of 284.

With a herculean effort required, all three women responded well in the rapid round on Sunday. Both Bhaker and Singh shot 293s, while Sangwan shot an unbelievable 299 to take the eighth and final qualifying spot with a total score of 583.

Singh (581) finished 16th, while Bhaker (580) was placed 22nd as both failed to advance to the final.

However, the final did not pan out as expected for India as Sangwan, who just needed to finish seventh or better to secure a Paris Olympic quota, crashed out in the eighth position.

Ordinary show in skeet

Meanwhile in the skeet mixed team event, the two Indians pairs - Angad Bajwa and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Anant Jeet Singh and Ganemat Sekhon, finished outside the medals position.

While Singh and Sekhon shot 139 in qualification to finish 25th while Bajwa and Dhaliwal were placed 37th with a score of 135.