The Indian shooting team had yet another day to remember, when Sonam Uttam Maskar, competing in her first ISSF World Cup, bagged silver in the women’s 10m air rifle competition in Cario late on Sunday.
Earlier, Divyasnsh Singh Panwar had struck gold in the men’s event with a world record score in the final.
Masker shot 252.1 in the eight-woman final, finishing 0.9 behind Germany’s Anna Janssen. Poland’s Aneta Stankiewicz won bronze. India is now firmly on the top of the season opening World Cup stage with two golds and three silver medals in their kitty after three days of competition.
Two Indians, Masker and Nancy had made the final after shooting scores of 632.7 and 633.1 to finish the 60-shot qualification round in fifth and fourth spots respectively.
Masker however, was strongest off the blocks in the 24-shot final, her 53.0 for her first five shots series, giving her the early lead.
It was quite an unprecedented final, with the scores huddled so close to each other that at the end of 10 shots, the difference between the leader Masker and Nancy, who was placed eighth at that stage, was amazingly just 0.8.
Janssen took over the lead from Masker after the 14th shot as despite a 10.9 again from Masker on the 13th, Janssen’s consistent high 10s bore fruit.
At one stage it did look that it would be a double podium for India, but Poland’s Stankiewicz pipped Nancy for bronze, while Masker despite brilliant shooting could not catch up with the experienced Janssen.
Other Indian scores on the day
Women’s 25m pistol- Qualification Day 1 Precision Round
Simranpreet Kaur Brar- score 290, position: 3rd
Rhythm Sangwan- score 288, position 12th
Manu Bhaker- score 287, position 16th
Men’s 10m Air Rifle
Arjun Babuta (qualification: 630.7, 4th)
Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil (qualification: 629.3, 10th)
Women’s 10m Air Rifle
Tilotttama Sen (qualification: 627.6, 29th)