Shooters fail to clear mixed team qualifications

Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker caved in under pressure and failed to qualify for the final in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. They finished seventh in Qualification 2 after topping the first phase with 582 at the Asaka Range.

The other Indian team in the event, Abhishek Verma and Yashaswini Singh Deswal, failed to clear Qualification 1 and finished in 17th place, having totalled 564 across six series. The team of Saurabh and Manu totalled 380 across two series each in the second phase of the qualification. While the top-eight teams make up Qualification 2, the top-four pairs in the second phase qualify for the medal rounds.

Later in the day, both the Indian pairs participating in the 10m air rifle mixed team event crashed out in the first qualification stage. Divyansh Singh Panwar and Elavenil Valarivan finished 12th with a total of 626.5 across three series each, while Deepak Kumar and Anjum Moudgil ended 18th out of 29 pairs with an aggregate score of 623.8.

Results: 10m air pistol mixed team: Qualification 2: 7. Saurabh Chaudhary/Manu Bhaker 380

Qualification 1: 1. Saurabh Chaudhary/Manu Bhaker 582; 17. Abhishek Verma/Yashaswini Singh Deswal 564

10m air rifle mixed team:Qualification 1: 12. Divyansh Singh Panwar/Elavenil Valarivan 626.5; 18. Deepak Kumar/Anjum Moudgil 623.8

NRAI boss talks of ‘overhaul’

The Indian shooting federation on Tuesday promised an overhaul of the coaching staff after the 15-strong contingent’s Olympic campaign moved from one disaster to another here, the sport trending for all the wrong reasons. “The performances have not been on expected lines and I have spoken of an overhaul of coaching and support staff,” National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) chief Raninder Singh said.