Muskan wins India’s fourth individual gold at ISSF Junior World Cup

Muskan with her gold medal (Photo: ISSF)

New Delhi: The 16-year-old Muskan won India's fourth individual gold at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney on Wednesday when she finished in the centre of the podium in the women's 25m Pistol event.

Muskan secured gold with 35 hits, while China's Qin Sihang finished with 34 to settle for silver.  It’s the first ISSF medal for both the shooters.

Thailand’s Kanyakorn Hirunphoem won the bronze medal with 26 hits.

Muskan, who finished 4th at last year's ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany, took the lead at the end of the sixth round when she nailed a perfect 5-hit series and found herself sitting on a 3-point advantage over her closest rival, Sihang.

Muskan successfully defended that lead throughout the rest of the final, taking gold with 35 hits, while Sihang finished with 34 and the silver medal around her neck.

A second Indian finalist - 16-year-old Manu Bhaker - was placed in 4th position with 18 hits, surviving a shoot-off at the end of the sixth series against Zhu Siying (16) of China.

Zhu then took 6th place with 12 hits, while her teammate Xiao Jiaruixuan (15) was placed 5th with 14 hits, in spite of a 2-point penalty given to her for early loading.

Finally, two first-time participants - India's 18-year-old Arunima Gaur and China's Li Xue - respectively took the 7th place with 8 hits and 8th place with 7.

Meanwhile, the Indian trio of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Ayush Rudraraju and Gurnilal Singh Garcha bagged the team silver in men's junior skeet with a total of 348.

(With PTI Inputs)