Manu Bhaker, India’s 16-year-old shooting prodigy stormed into the women’s 25m air pistol with a Games record score of 593 in the women’s 25m pistol qualification at the ongoing Asian Games on Wednesday. Rahi Sarnobat, the other Indian in the fray, also made it to the eight-shooter final finishing seventh with a score of 580.
The teenager’s total score was eight points more than the next best, South Korea’s Kim Minjung, who got 585, which is usually considered a par score in qualification.
Bhaker was on top of the charts from the onset, topping the precision round with 297 out of 300 points. She scored a 99, 98 and a perfect 100 in the three series. In the next round of rapid shooting, she hit 296, starting with a 100, followed by 97 and 99. The world record in qualification is 594.
Her senior partner Sarnobat had a score of 288 and 292 in her precision and rapid series.
The final will be held at about 1300 hrs IST today.
India out of women’s 50m rifle 3 positions
In the women’s 50m rifle 3 position, it was heartbreak for Anjum Moudgil as she missed the cut for the final by just one point. She was second in the qualification table after the kneeling and prone positions, but she had a poor standing round (93, 92, 93, and 95) and dropped out of the top eight.
Gaayathri N, the other Indian in the fray, finished 17th in qualifications.