Asian Championship: Amanpreet strikes gold in 25m centre fire
India’s pistol stalwart Amanpreet Singh clinched the biggest medal of his career, striking gold in the 25m centre fire event as the country completed a clean sweep of the podium on the concluding day of the Asian Championship on Friday. The 38-year-old Amanpreet fired a stellar 589 to claim gold, edging out fellow countryman and Olympian Gurpreet Singh, who scored 584 for silver, while Ankur Goel secured bronze with 570, completing India’s sweep of the 25m centre fire podium.
The Indian trio dominated the team event as well, amassing a commanding 1743 points to clinch team gold, while Vietnam secured silver with a total of 1671 points. India signed off in style, collecting seven medals on the final day to cap a dominant campaign. The team finished with an impressive overall tally of 33 medals in the senior rifle and pistol events -- 13 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze.
Ace Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra also delivered a stirring performance in the women’s 50m rifle prone event, fighting till the very last shot to clinch a well-earned silver medal. Adding to the country’s medal tally, seasoned campaigner Tejaswini Sawant displayed remarkable poise and precision to clinch the bronze, completing a memorable double podium finish for India, while Kazakhstan’s Yelizaveta Bezrukova soared to the gold with a commanding performance.
Samra, 24, the ISSF World Cup and Asian Championship gold medallist in the 50m rifle 3-positions event last year, fired a superb 623.2 but missed out on gold by the narrowest of margins -- just 0.2 points -- as Kazakhstan’s Yelizaveta Bezrukova edged ahead with 623.4 in a gripping showdown. Olympian Sawant, 45, a former world champion in the event, claimed bronze with 621.0, marking her first podium finish since the 2021 World Cup in New Delhi, where she struck gold in the 50m Rifle 3-Positions Mixed Team event. The Indian trio of Samra, Sawant and Jaipur shooter Manini Kaushik combined brilliantly to clinch team gold with an aggregate of 1862.9, edging past Kazakhstan by a mere 0.1 point in a nail-biting finish.
The Kazakh team settled for silver at 1862.8, underscoring just how fiercely contested the showdown was. Dhavalika Devi bags junior prone bronze India’s Dhavalika Devi clinched the bronze in the women’s 50m rifle junior prone event, with Kazakhstan’s shooters dominating the top two spots. Dhavalika fired 614.1, while Tomiris Amanova captured gold with 620.1 and Darya Ponomarenko took silver at 615.4.
Another Indian shooter, Khwaish Sharma, competing in the RPO (Ranking Points Only) category, fired an impressive 618.1 to finish third. However, despite her stellar performance, she was ineligible for a medal, as RPO competitors cannot contest for podium finishes. Hailing from Fatehpur Shekhawati in Sikar district in Rajasthan, Khwaish’s accomplishment not only highlights her dedication, perseverance, and talent but also places her hometown on the map. Khwaish described the achievement as a dream beginning to her global journey.
Reflecting on her journey, she credited much of her progress to her coach, Monika Jakhar, who she said stood by her through both triumphs and setbacks. Khwaish also expressed heartfelt gratitude to her family for their unwavering belief and sacrifices, which she considers the backbone of her success. The junior women’s prone team, comprising Dhavalika, Prachi Gaikwad and Anushka Thokur, totalled 1835.6 points to win gold, followed by Kazakhstan (1834.6).
