BHARAT MATA KI JAI in Shooting World Cup 2021

India’s Manu Bhaker, Yashaswini Deswal (center), and Victoria Chaikha of Belarus during the medal ceremony of the Women’s 10M Air Pistol competition.

Yashaswini Deswal.

Yashaswini Deswal wins India’s first Gold

• India won a total of five medals that include one gold, two silvers, and two bronze on day two of  the World Cup.

This medal will surely help to boost my morale and confidence. I did my best today and I will keep trying to do my best. It was low scoring final. I will improve. I was trying to do my best. This was one of the two international competitions before Olympics, so I have to focus on my mental temperament and my technique. I was happy that the three of us were in the final and ultimately the competition was with myself only because who can win with oneself can win against the world. – Yashaswini Deswal

Manu Bhaker congratulated Yashaswini on winning Gold medal.

Rakesh Thapliyal

 New Delhi: The moment Yashaswini Deswal of India got the Shining World Cup gold medal around her neck and the National Anthem was played, she shouted ‘BHARAT MATA KI JAI.’ When asked about this gesture, the daughter of S S Deswal, DG ITBP said, ‘I do it every time the National Anthem is played.’ Yashaswini is the only Indian shooter to win a gold medal on Saturday. 23 years old Yashaswini beat compatriot Manu Bhaker in a comparatively low-scoring final of the Women’s 10M Air Pistol competition. Victoria Chaikha of Belarus won the bronze. Yashaswini shot 238.8 while Manu shot 236.7 in the final. Yashaswini not only topped the qualification round with a score of 579 but also led from the start in the final to win her second ISSF World Cup gold. She had won gold in the Rio World Cup back in 2019.

Yashaswini Deswal in action.

 India won a total of five medals that include one gold, two silvers, and two bronze on day two of the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun being held in New Delhi’s Dr. Karni Singh Shooting range. Besides gold and silver by Yashaswini and Manu, India won three more medals on the day with Divyansh Singh Panwar winning bronze in the Men’s 10M Air Rifle and Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma winning silver and bronze respectively in the Men’s 10M Air Pistol.

Saurabh and Abhishek with Silver and Bronze medals.

In the Men’s 10M Air Pistol, pistol ace Saurabh Chaudhary was in line for gold before the 24thand final shot, but Iranian gold medallist Javad Foroughi shot a 10.5 to Saurabh’s 9.8, to overcome the 0.3 deficit for a first ISSF World Cup gold. In the fourth final of the day, Anjum Moudgil of India finished fifth in the Women’s 10M Air Rifle after being in contention for a long while.

Divyansh Panwar in Action.

World number one Divyansh Singh Panwar won the first medal of the championship for India when he overcame a slow start to finish with 228.1 to finish third. American Lucas Kozeniesky won gold while Hungarian super-shot Istvan Peni won silver. Arjun Babuta, the second Indian in the field, finished fifth.

The day however belonged to the USA, who won both the Air Rifle gold medals and in-fact registered a 1-2 in the Women’s 10M Air Rifle, where Mary Tucker won gold with 251.5 and Alison Weisz won silver with 250.4. Denes Eszter of Hungary won bronze with a score of 230.2.