Manu betters world record, Anish wins in pistol competitions

NEW DELHI: Olympian Manu Bhaker soared high, as much as six points above the world record, to take the Women’s 25M Pistol Olympic Selection Trial T1 (OST T1), literally demolishing the four-woman opposition here at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range on Saturday.

Anish Bhanwala then followed with an expected regulation win in the men’s 25M Rapid-Fire Pistol (RFP) OST T1 as the first winners of the Rifle and Pistol Paris Olympic Trials 1&2 were identified on the day.

Pistol ace Manu topped the Women’s 25M Pistol qualification finishing ahead of Esha Singh, Rhythm Sangwan, Simranpreet and Abhidnya.

Manu was all class in the women’s final, her scores in the 10 series of five rapid-fire shots reading 4,4,5,5,5,5,4,5,5 and 5. When Esha was first to be eliminated on 23 after the seventh series, Manu was already on 32, six ahead of Rhythm and Abhidnya, who were tied at that stage.

She was relentless and sure and with the maximum podium points added to the quota points she already had her Paris campaign has surely taken a big step forward.

Esha Singh, however, will still lead the women’s 25M Pistol OST at the end of it, thanks to her 585 in qualifying, which helped her top the five-woman field on Friday. Manu will be just behind her in second with Simranpreet, Abhidnya and Rhythm completing the order.

Anish also stamped his class in the men’s RFP, finishing with 33 hits, a clear six ahead of Vijayveer Sidhu, who was second. Adarsh Singh took the third podium position with 23 hits.

Bhavesh Shekhawat, after topping the qualifications finished fourth with 18 while Ankur Goel was first to exit with 10 hits to his name at that stage. Vijayveer currently edges out Anish on the top of that field, courtesy of a better qualifying score, who in turn is touch-n-go with Bhavesh at this stage.

The OST T2 for the same events begin on Sunday with the qualification rounds, and with the final slotted for Monday.