Ningbo (China), Sep 14: In a final where the latest Chinese sensation Peng Xinlu shattered the world record, India’s Meghana Sajjanar, playing a first world final in eight years, clinched bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle, her first ever world cup medal, to help India finish the season-ending International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Ningbo, China, in fifth place on the medal tally with one gold and one bronze medal.

Meghana shot 230.0 in the final as Norwegian ace Jeanette Hegg Duestad took silver while Peng took gold, replacing compatriot Wang Zifei’s earlier world record score of 254.8, with a 255.3 of her own.

Esha Singh had on Saturday given India their first medal of the Ningbo World Cup with a gold in the women’s 10m air pistol, as the Indian squad primarily made up of domestic rankers four-six, achieved a creditable finish in a world-class field. China topped the tally with three golds while Norway came away second with two golds in their kitty, of the 10 available.

Early on Sunday morning, shooting in the second qualification rally, Meghana shot a solid 632.7 to claim the seventh qualifying spot, while Peng topped with a superlative 637.4.

The Chinese began the 24-shot final with a perfect 10.9 as well to set the gauntlet as Meghana lay at the bottom of the eight-woman field after the first series of five single shots.

A strong second series of 52.3 moved her up to sixth and over the next 10 single shots, the experienced Indian shot nothing less than 10.2, including a crucial 10.9 for her 12th, to ensure a first-ever medal at this level after almost a decade of perseverance.

With individual neutral athlete Mariia Vasileva just 0.3 behind ahead of the 19th shot, Meghana still had a bit of work to do but two 10.4s, put paid to any hopes Mariia would have harbored.

India also reached a second final on the day, their fourth overall in Ningbo, as Kiran Ankush Jadhav shot 590 in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions qualification round, to claim the fourth spot.

A horror start both in the first Kneeling position and then in the second Prone position however, meant that he ended the final in eighth spot with a score of 406.7 at the end of 40 shots.

Among other Indian contenders on the day, Paris bronze medalist Swapnil Kusale shot a steady 587 to finish 21st overall and 19th among medal contenders. Babu Singh Panwar was further back with a score of 583.

In the women’s air rifle, Olympian Ramita Jindal shot 629.8 to finish 22nd overall and 16th among contenders, while Kashika Pradhan shot 626.6.

(IANS)

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