India is producing yet another brilliant shooter to shine on the global stage. Indian shooter Parth Rakesh Mane clinched his second gold medal at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru. First, he helped India win a gold medal in the team competition. Later on Tuesday, he won the gold in the 10m air rifle event.
The 16-year-old displayed impressive skill in a tight final, scoring 250.7 points and defeating China’s Huang Liwanlin by just 0.7 points. With five gold medals so far, India is leading the overall medal tally at the championship.
Manu Bhaker at the Junior World Championships 2021
Prolific shooters like Olympic medal winner Manu Bhaker have also participated in the Junior World Championships earlier. In 2021, she won five medals, including four golds and one bronze.
Team Effort leads to gold
Mane teamed up with Ajay Malik and Abhinav Shaw to win the men’s team event. Ajay Malik finished fifth, losing in a shoot-off, while Abhinav Shaw placed seventh. In the qualification round, Malik ranked second, Mane fourth, and Shaw sixth. Their combined score of 1883.5 was better than the teams from the USA and Germany.
Women’s Team wins in 10m Air Rifle
India’s third gold medal came from the junior women’s 10m air rifle team, consisting of Gautami Bhanot, Sambhavi Kshirsagar, and Anoushka Thakur. In the individual qualifications, Gautami finished second with a score of 634.7, while Shambhavi and Anoushka qualified in fourth and fifth places, respectively. Despite strong performances, Gautami finished fourth in the final.
Strong Team performance secures victory
Gautami, Shambhavi, and Anoushka combined to set a junior world team record score of 1894.8, defeating the USA to win the team title. Although Indian shooters competed in the junior men’s and women’s skeet events, they did not reach the finals.