2021 European Shooting Championships | Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat shine in women's 25m event

06/02/2021

Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat finished as the 1st and 2nd placed contestants in the MQS (Minimum Qualification) section of the women’s 25m pistol event at the European Shooting Championships. The 13-member pistol and rifle contingent is currently in Croatia for a training-cum-competition tour.

The 13-member Tokyo-bound pistol and rifle shooting contingent has been stationed in Croatia for the past three weeks, where they have been preparing for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The decision to shift the training base was taken by the NRAI (National Rifle Association of India) after national camps were suspended in India owing to the second Covid-19 wave.

Apart from the training stint in Zagreb, the shooters were also set to take part in a couple of competitions in the build-up to the mega-event. As planned, the shooters are now taking part in the European Shooting Championships.

It was on Tuesday that Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat finished as the 1st and 2nd placed contestants in the MQS (Minimum Qualification) section of the women’s 25m pistol category of the ongoing meet. Manu shot 587, which was the fourth-best overall score among the regular and MCQ, while Rahi’s score of 584 matched the sixth-best regular scores of the day.

Manu and Rahi were placed eighth after both of them shot 291 in the first precision round. However, on Tuesday, Manu shot two perfect 100s in the rapid-fire round to finish with a tally of 296/300, which was the second-best overall of the day, while Rahi settled for 293 and gained a couple of spots in the final rankings.

Following the tournament, the Indian team will also compete in the ISSF World Cup scheduled to begin on June 22, in Osijek, Croatia.