Shooting right the bull’s eye, Rahi Sarnobat gifts India gold in Women’s 25m pistol event

Jakarta, August 22: Rising high with an unprecedented gesture, India bags its fourth gold from Rahi Sarnobat in the women's 25m pistol event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on Wednesday. Rahi Sarnobat became the first Indian woman shooter to win an individual Asian Games gold medal.

Giving a tough competition, Sarnobat was locked in the shoot-off for the gold medal as she had missed her third shot. Yangpaiboon Naphaswan of Thailand finished in second after being beaten in the shoot-off. Naphaswan also missed her fifth and last shot. The pair was forced in the second shoot-off, as the Thai shooter missed three and Rahi hit three.

 

Rahi Sarnobat and Yangpaiboon Naphaswan both had finished with a score of 34, which is an Asian Games record. With the win, India now has won four gold medals.

 

Rahi Sarnobat had won Bronze in the 25m Pistol 2014 Team event at the previous edition of the Asian Games in Inchon back in 2014. In the same year, she had won gold in the 25m Pistol event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Rahi shot 97, 95, 96 for a total of 288 in the precision round. In the rapid round, she posted scores of 98, 96, 98 for a total of 292.

 

Another Indian Manu Bhaker was deviated after she finished in 6th. In qualifying Manu Bhaker topped the qualifying round with a Games record score of 593, while Rahi was seventh with 580 points.