Sports

Manu strikes 2nd successive Gold

PTI

The sensational Manu Bhaker, all of 16, shot her way to a second successive gold medal in a mixed team event as India consolidated their position at the top in the ISSF World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Partnering Om Prakash Mitharval, the Indian teenager clinched the 10m air pistol mixed team title, a day after she won the women's 10m air pistol individual gold on what is turning out to be a memorable senior World Cup debut.

Also, the duo of Deepak Kumar and Mehuli Ghosh won the country its sixth medal of the competition - a bronze in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.

Deepak and Mehuli, competing as India 2, shot 435.1 in the five-team final, finishing behind the Romanian pair of Alin Moldoveanu and laura-Georgeta Coman who shot 498.4 for silver.

China's Xu Hong and Chen Keduo won Gold in a world record score of 502.0.

But it was Bhaker, the girl from Jhajjar, Haryana, who stunned the shooting world world with a second successive gold in as many days.

For someone who took to shooting just a little over two years ago, winning two gold medals in a global event of this magnitude would easily qualify as some achievement.

Asked about her penchant for winning medals with record-breaking feats, the unassuming pistol shooter said, "It just happens. I don't think about them. At times I don't even know what the records are."

India's medal count stood at three gold and four bronze medals for a total of seven podium finishes.