Doha (Qatar): Jaypal Malviya produced a composure-laden performance under pressure to clinch a silver medal in the men’s 10m air pistol at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle / Pistol / Shotgun on Thursday. In doing so, he secured India’s very first quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
With three Olympic quota spots on offer in the event, the Indian marksman delivered when it mattered most at the Lusail Shooting Complex.
Jaypal shot a score of 242.2 in the 24-shot final to finish second on the podium. China’s Hu Kai took the gold medal and the first Olympic quota with 243.9. Czechia’s Jindrich Dubovy won the bronze medal and the third available quota place with 220.9.
Jaypal remained in medal contention right from the opening stage. He registered 50.5 in the first series and moved to 100.0 at the end of the second series. During the elimination stages, the Indian shooter fired consistent high-10s, including hits of 10.8 and 10.7, to separate himself from the chasing pack. He held his composure during the final shots to keep Dubovy at bay and seal the silver medal behind Hu.
Earlier in the morning session, the Indian women’s 10m air pistol squad clinched the team silver medal.
The trio of double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, Suruchi Inder Singh and Sainyam combined for an aggregate total of 1738 with 61 inner 10s. Manu led the Indian challenge with a qualification total of 583-21x, which included a perfect 100 in her fourth series.
Suruchi contributed a steady 580-24x, while junior world champion Sainyam added 575-16x to seal the second step of the podium. China took the women’s team gold medal with 1745-65x, while the Republic of Korea claimed bronze with 1729-49x.
In the men’s team competition, India finished seventh with a combined aggregate of 1730-58x. Jaypal led the team with his qualification mark of 585-23x (97, 99, 97, 99, 97, 96), which had earned him third place heading into the individual final.
Kamaljeet shot 580-20x to finish 27th in individual qualifying, while Ravin Kumar recorded 565-15x. China took the men’s team gold medal with 1755-66x, followed by the Republic of Korea (1738-62x) in second and Uzbekistan (1738-44x) in third.
(IANS)
