Muskan bhanwala secures india’s fourth individual gold at junior world cup

Muskan bhanwala secures india’s fourth individual gold at junior world cup

Muskan Bhanwala extended India’s individual gold medal tally to four in the penultimate event at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Sydney when she bagged the yellow medal in the Women’s 25m Pistol event. Bhanwala, 16, finished fourth at last year’s Junior World Cup in Suhl upped her positioning in the order in Sydney, Australia.

She took the lead at the end of the sixth round when she scored a perfect 5-hit series and led by three points over her closest rival from China Qin Sihang (16). Muskan successfully defended that lead through the course of the final, taking gold with 35 hits, while Quin finished with 34 and took the silver medal. This is the first ISSF medal for both the junior shooters.

Another Indian finalist and India’s golden girl, Manu Bhaker, finished in fourth place with 18 hits, surviving a shoot-off at the end of the sixth series against Zhu Siying of China.

The bronze medal went to Thailand’s 16-year-old Kanyakorn Hirunphoem who is competing in her sixth World Cup. The Thai shooter — silver medalist in the Air Pistol event four days ago — finished with 26 hits and pocketed her second medal in Sydney.

The team podium was taken by India’s Bhaker, Muskan and Devanshi Rana, while their country-mates Gaur, Mahima Turhi Agrawal and Tanu Rawal secured silver. Thailand’s Hirunphoem, Viramon Kidarn and Luxciga Srinitivoravong were placed third to take the bronze medal.

In the final event of the World Cup, Anant Jeet Naruka finished fifth in men’s skeet competition with a score of 24 while China’s Xuyang Duo bagged gold with 58 hits – a junior world record.

With the gold medals, India stood second in medals tally at the ISSF World Cup with a total of 22 medals – nine golds, five silvers and eight bronze – behind China’s 25 who also bagged nine gold medals.