ISSF Junior World Cup: Muskan wins gold in 25m air pistol as India finish second

India shooter Muskan Bhanwala

Muskan Bhanwala, 16, clinched the gold medal in women's 25m pistol as India finished right behind toppers China in the medals tally in the ISSF Junior World Cup here yesterday.

The Indian bested China's Qin Sihang and Thailand's Kanyakorn Hirunphoem, who respectively took silver and bronze in the pistol event, the tournament's penultimate on the final day. The team gold was won by Muskan, Manu Bhaker and Devanshi Rana, adding to India's rich medal haul. India thus ended with 22 medals, matching China's nine gold but slipped to second in the overall medal count. India also secured five silver and eight bronze medals.

Muskan to the fore
Muskan's medal was India's fourth individual gold. Muskan - who finished 4th at last year's ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany - took the lead at the end of the sixth round when she nailed a perfect 5-hit series and found herself sitting on a 3-point advantage over her closest rival, China's Qin Sihang, 16.

Muskan successfully defended that lead throughout the rest of the final, taking gold with 35 hits, while Qin finished with 34 and the silver medal around her neck. It's the first ISSF medal for both the Indian and the Chinese junior shooter. The bronze medal was awarded to Thailand's Kanyakorn Hirunphoem, 16, currently ranked 62nd in the world in this event.

A second Indian finalist - Manu Bhaker, 16, - was placed in 4th position with 18 hits, surviving a shoot-off at the end of the sixth series against Zhu Siying of China.

Finally, two first-time participants - India's Arunima Gaur, 18, and China's Li Xue - respectively took the 7th place with 8 hits and 8th place with 7. The top of the team podium was taken by Bhaker, Muskan and Rana, while their country-mates Gaur, Mahima Turhi Agrawal and Tanu Rawal secured silver. Thailand's Hirunphoem, Viramon Kidarn and Luxciga Srinitivoravong were placed 3rd.

Skeet silver for India
Meanwhile, the Indian trio of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Ayush Rudraraju and Gurnilal Singh Garcha bagged the team silver in men's junior skeet with a total of 348. Naruka finished fifth in the individual skeet final.

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