Shymkent, Kazakhstan, Aug 27 (PTI): In a display of exceptional skill, India's Anish Bhanwala secured the silver medal at the ongoing Asian Shooting Championships on Wednesday, confirming his status as India's premier rapid fire pistol shooter.
The 22-year-old Olympian completed the competition with a total score of 35, narrowly missing out on the gold medal, which was claimed by China's Su Lianbofan, who scored 36. The bronze medal went to Lee Jaekyoon of Korea.
Anish was in the lead following the first four series but eventually fell behind, ending the day just one point shy of the top position.
Fellow Indian contestant Adarsh Singh finished in fifth place.
Bhanwala, who won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, initially found himself in sixth position with a score of 290 after the precision round of 30 shots on Tuesday. However, he showcased remarkable resilience in the rapid fire round on Wednesday, posting an impressive score of 293, which propelled him to fourth place and an aggregate score of 583 points.
In the six-man final, Bhanwala was leading with an 18-17 advantage over Su Lianbofan but was overtaken after missing shots in the last three series of five shots each. The 20-year-old Chinese competitor, whose previous best was a silver at this year's World Cup in Lima, Peru, ultimately secured the gold.
Bhanwala's performance improved from the bronze he earned at the Asian Championships in Changwon, Korea, two years ago.
On Tuesday, the trio of Bhanwala (583), Adarsh Singh (585), and Neeraj Kumar (570) accumulated 1738 points, earning team silver. South Korea captured the gold with a combined score of 1748 points.
In the men's 50m pistol event, which is not an Olympic discipline, the team of Amanpreet Singh (543), Yogesh Kumar (548), and Ravinder Singh (542) won silver with an aggregate score of 1633 points. Iran achieved gold with a total of 1652 points, while South Korea took bronze with a total of 1619 points.
The individual final for this event is set to take place later today.
Juniors Shine: The junior men's 50m pistol team, consisting of Abhinav Choudhary (541), Umesh Choudhary (529), and Mukesh Nelavalli (523), triumphed in a two-team contest, winning gold with an aggregate score of 1593. Kazakhstan claimed the silver with a total of 1580 points.
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