Asian Games | Heena Sidhu settles for bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol final

Olympian shooter Heena Sidhu was one of the favorites to return home with a medal as the Indian shooting contingent departed for Indonesia for the 2018 edition of the Asian Games. Heena has come through on those expectations as she ended the 10m women’s air pistol final with a bronze medal to her name.

Heena, who had won silver in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and bronze in the 2014 Incheon games, shot a total of 219.3 and could have challenged for gold after her superb 10.8 brought her within 0.1 of the leaders. However, with just three shooters left in the field, Heena fired a 9.6 in the next attempt which crushed her hopes of a better finish at the Jakabaring Shooting Range.

Indian teenage sensation, Manu Bhaker, the other Indian in contention for a medal, was eliminated in the fifth spot with a score of 176.2. The 16-year-old CWG gold-medallist had finished third in qualification with a score of 574 while her 28-year old compatriot made the cut on the seventh spot in the eight-shooter final with 571 points.

Heena, who is coached by her husband and CWG gold medalist Ronak Pandit, will be happy to have secured her first individual Asiad medal after she previously won the team silver in 2010 and bronze in 2014 in the team events.