Olympian Anantjeet Singh Naruka: Jaipur boys Vivaan Kapoor and Olympian Anantjeet Singh Naruka, brought cheer to home fans on the concluding day of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun 2024, the former winning silver, a first individual ISSF medal at the senior level, in the men’s trap, while the latter clinched bronze in men’s skeet, here at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range (DKSSR) in the national capital.
The duo’s performance doubled India’s medal count to four as they finished ninth in the standings with two silver and two bronze medals, even as China topped the tally with five golds and three bronze medals in their kitty. Seven other nations, Italy, Germany, France, Hungary, Denmark, San Marino and the USA, won a gold each with Italy finishing second with three silvers and a bronze and Germany third with two silvers to add to their lone gold.
A total of 14 nations out of the 37 participating, won medals in the prestigious annual ISSF season-ender.
Vivaan Kapoor took aim in the final event of the concluding day, the men’s trap final, in a field that featured at least two Olympic champions, the Paris Olympic silver medallist and a former world champion. That did not fetter him however as he shot like a man possessed in the 50-shot final, eventually finishing second with 44-hits as China’s Qi Ying, the Paris silver medallist, took gold with 47. Turkiye’s Tolga Tuncer won bronze.
Calm and humble after an overwhelming performance, Vivaan said after the final, “It was all God’s grace and my coach’s (former world champion Khaled Almudaf of Kuwait) efforts.”
Anantjeet Singh Naruka’s stock as India’s number one men’s skeet shooter has been growing since his famous silver at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Since then the youngster went to his first Olympics in Paris and yet again famously missed the Skeet Mixed Team bronze partnering Maheshwari Chauhan, finishing fourth.
An individual ISSF medal was a matter of time and it happened on the day at home in India, as he overcame a wobble (two misses in the first 10) at the start of the 60-shot men’s skeet final to finish with 43 hits out of 50, behind the Italian duo of Tammaro Cassandro (gold with 57 hits) and double Olympic champion Gabriele Rossetti (silver with 56 hits).
“I was really pumped up today and did not want to finish fourth or fifth and wanted to win the medal today. I am very happy that I was able to do it,” said Anantjeet after the final.
In the other two finals of the day, Samantha Simonton of the USA won gold with a score of 56, edging out Italian double Olympic champion and legend Diana Bacosi who shot 54. France’s Lucie Anastassiou won bronze.
“I was really pumped up today and did not want to finish fourth or fifth and wanted to win the medal today. I am very happy that I was able to do it,” said Anantjeet after the final.
Article Source: IANS