Sports
Sidhu adds third gold to India’s shooting kitty in CWG
Gold Coast, April 10 (IANS): Heena Sidhu picked up India’s third gold medal in shooting in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Australia, finishing on top in the women’s 25m pistol event and also breaking the CWG record in the process in Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Heena notched up a new CWG record of 38 points in the final to take the title in style. This is her second medal at this game after having claimed the silver in the 10m air pistol event behind 16-year-old compatriot Manu Bhaker.
Elena Galiabovitch of Australia scored 35 to take silver while Malaysia’s Alia Sazana Azahari got bronze with 26.
This was the 11th gold medal for India in this year’s CWG and Heena’s first individual gold in three editions of this quadrennial event.
Heena, who has a total of four CWG medals to her name, had bagged bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event on Sunday.
She had also won a gold in the women’s 10m air pistol pairs and silver in the individual event at the 2010 edition in New Delhi.
The fact that Heena managed to emerge champion on Tuesday despite an injury in her trigger finger, speaks volumes of her determination and makes the victory all the more creditable.
Annu Raj Singh, the other Indian in the fray, fizzled out in the final after an excellent performance during qualification, to take the overall sixth place.
Elena was the fastest off the blocks in the final and Heena was trailing behind the Australian till the fifth series.
Heena did well to close the gap by scoring with all her five shots in the fifth series before another perfect score in the sixth saw her take the joint lead.
The Indian took sole lead after the first shot in the seventh series and subsequently increased the gap.
With a two-point lead at the end of the seventh series, Heena found the target in four of the five shots in the eighth to be ahead by three points.
Although the Australian managed to close the gap by one point in the ninth series, Heena held her nerves in the 10th and final series to emerge champion.
Earlier, Annu finished the qualification stage at the second spot with a total of 584 points. Heena was third with 579.
Xiu Hong Teh of Singapore topped the qualification standings with 584.
Annu had taken pole position at the end of the Precision round with 293. She managed 291 in the Rapid round while Xiu scored 293.
Annu registered a series of 96, 99 and 98 in the Precision round. She was consistent in the Rapid round as well with scores of 98, 96 and 97.
Xiu, who was second after the Precision round with 291, registered 96, 100 and 97 in the Rapid stage to snatch the lead.
Heena meanwhile, started slowly before climbing up the standings with an awesome show in the Rapid round.
She was decidedly below par in the Precision round and was lagging at the seventh spot with 286.
Heena struggled with her opening couple of shots in the Precision round with disappointing efforts of 95 and 93 before recovering somewhat with a 98 in her third and last attempt.
Heena started the Rapid round poorly as well as she could only manage a 95in her opening attempt. But she saved her best for her last two shots, firing consecutive scores of 99 to zoom to the third spot.