India's Sanjeev Rajput, Tejaswini Sawant win gold under 50m rifle three positions mixed team

NEW DELHI: The seasoned Indian duo of Sanjeev Rajput and Tejaswini Sawant won the gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 positions mixed team event of the ISSF World Cup here on Friday. The Indians beat Ukraine's Serhiy Kulish and Anna Ilina 31-29 in the gold medal match, using their years of experience to good effect to emerge victorious.

The Indian gold count went up to 11 with their top finish. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Sunidhi Chauhan won the bronze medal after getting the better of USA's Timothy Sherry and Virginia Thrasher 31-15 at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. To start with, Rajput and Sawant were 1-3 behind before leading 5-3.

But the visiting shooters then raced ahead of their opponents before the Indians made another strong comeback to regain the top position and from there on, the home team maintained the lead to end on a winning note The Ukrainians tried to make a match of it but the home favourites managed to prevail in an exciting final.

In Qualification 2, Rajput and Sawant finished at the top with a total score of 588, with both the shooters getting 294 each. While Tomar and Chauhan logged 580 to end the final qualification at fourth place and make the bronze medal round.

Kulish and Ilina were placed third with 583, ahead of the American duo of Thrasher and Sherry (581).