New Delhi: Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu combined to clinch the gold medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol event of the ISSF World Cup in Gabala, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
India pipped Russia 7-6 in the final while France beat Iran by an identical score to take bronze. Earlier, on Day Four of the competitions at the rifle/pistol World Cup, both Jitu and Heena narrowly missed out on making the final of the individual men’s and women’s 10m air pistol event, finishing 12th and ninth in their respective qualification rounds.
Only the top eight make it through to the final. Although the mixed team events are not being considered for the medal tally at the World Cup stage this year, they have been approved as medal events for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The win augurs well for the Indian pair as this was their second World Cup gold together, having won the event in the New Delhi stage earlier this year.
China lead the medal tally at Gabala with six medals, including three gold. Over 400 shooters from 45 countries are competing in the ongoing event, which is the last chance for rifle and pistol shooters to qualify for the ISSF World Cup Finals.
The event will see the eight best shooters of the world compete in each Olympic discipline along with reigning Olympic and World Championship medallists and wild cards.
