India's teen
shooting sensation Manu Bhaker grabbed the women's 10m air pistol gold medal by
shattering the games record while Heena Sidhu staged a stirring comeback to bag
silver at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Sunday.
old medallist Manu Bhaker of India (C) , silver medallist Heena
Sidhu of India and bronze medalist Elena Galiabovitch pose with their medals.
Reuters
The
16-year-old Bhaker's calm demeanour belied her age as she shot a record 240.9
to finish well ahead of her senior teammate Sidhu, who aggregated 234 at the
Belmont Shooting Centre.
A
dominant Bhaker led throughout the two stages in her maiden Commonwealth Games
outing, living up to the billing.
Bhaker
was the overwhelming favourite to win the event, having bagged multiple gold
medals at the 2018 ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico and the subsequent
Junior World Cup in Sydney.
The
event in Mexico was also a maiden appearance for the young girl from the
Jhajjar district in Haryana.
Such
was India's dominance in the air pistol event that Bhaker and Sidhu were the
only two shooters left in fray for the top honours.
On
expected lines, Bhaker produced some excellent shooting and notched up 10 and
above scores on 14 occasions in the eight-women finals, ending with a 10.4 to
finish way ahead of pack.
Entering
the Games after being embroiled in a controversy over the sports ministry's
initial decision to refuse accreditation to her husband-cum-coach Ronak Pandit,
Sidhu was off to a poor start and was staring at elimination at one stage, only
to pull off a fine fightback and prove her detractors wrong.
After
a series of scores of 9s, Sidhu found her bearings and shot 10-plus scores nine
times to not just widen the gap but finish well ahead of the eventual bronze
medallist.
There
was no doubt about Bhaker – she was miles ahead and certain to emerge
champion when Sidhu and Galiabovitch were tied with 195 points with four more
shots left in the finals. Bhaker had tallied 201.7 points by then.
After
struggling to get going, Sidhu was back in medal contention with 175.3 points,
courtesy a few 10-plus scores, even as Bhaker led with 180.2 points with six
shots left.
Bhaker
led with 141.5 points in Stage 2 Elimination, while Sidhu was placed sixth with
134.9 points.
Bhaker
set the tempo when she recorded 101.5 at the end of first stage, leaving the
others to play catch up for the rest of the finals. Her concentration was
unwavering and she held her nerve all through to continue her golden run.
Shooting
happened to her by chance after a brush with contact sports and for someone who
took to the sport just a little over two years ago, winning with such
consistency would easily qualify as some achievement.
Immediately after
letting her pistol do all the talking one more time, Manu Bhaker spoke little
but enough to express her pleasure at winning the 10m air pistol gold at the
Commonwealth Games with consummate ease.
The
seasoned Heena Sidhu staged a remarkable comeback to bag silver at the Belmont
Shooting Centre.
Manu Bhaker poses with her medal after winning the women's 10m air
pistol competition at Commonwealth Games 2018. AFP
The
16-year-old Bhaker's calm demeanour belied her age as she shot a CWG record of
240.9 to finish well ahead of her senior teammate Sidhu, who aggregated 234.
Bhaker's
388 in the qualifications was also a Games record, while Sidhu tallied 379.
"I
am very happy... it is my first Commonwealth Games and I won with a
qualification record also. The gap between me and the second competitor, that was
a huge margin. So it was pleasure winning this medal for India and I am very,
very happy," Manu said after the event.
A
dominant Bhaker led throughout the two stages and lived up to the billing.
On
her part, Sidhu said, "I feel good. I mean I was facing some problems
before going into the finals and the match, but I figured my way around it, and
that is what athletes are supposed to do, fight with the challenges."
After
a series of 9s, the 28-year-old Sidhu found her bearings and shot 10-plus
scores nine times to not just widen the gap but finish well ahead of the
eventual bronze medallist from Australia.
"I
couldn't feel the muscles properly and that is why I lost in the first five; 50
is about minimum I would have gotten. If I had paid more attention to the
gripping I would have given her (Bhaker) more competition."
The
former world No 1 also spoke about a few injury issues bothering her for a
while.
"I
had this injury, although I don't know if you could call it an injury, because
it was not really a fall and I did not get hurt or anything, but slowly last
year I had (pain in) my index finger, the trigger finger, it used to tremble.
"I
did a lot of MRIs and physiotherapy, so we understood there was some nerve
involvement, and we worked on it. For the past month or so I've been having
tingling sensations and now it's pins and needles.
"It
flared up a lot in the last week so I had my physiotherapists come in,"
she added.
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