India shooters increase gold medal tally to 39 as Sofiya Shulzhenko of Kazakhstan sets world record enroute women’s 3P win

Kazakhstan shooter Sofiya Shulzhenko set a world record in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions (3P) on her way to winning gold at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Championship here at Delhi’s Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges. The Indian team was leading the medal tally with 39 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze medals on Tuesday.

Sofiya’s 35-shot final score of 358.2 points was four points clear of India’s Aakriti Dahiya who clinched silver. Aakriti’s senior teammate Anjum Moudgil, a world championship medalist, claimed bronze with a score of 340.4.

It was an exciting day for Sofiya as her score of 358.2 points also entered books in three other categories—world junior, Asian and Asian junior.

Later in the junior women’s 3P final, Prachi Gaikwad emerged victorious with a score of 353.3. The 14-year-old Kazakh shooter Tomiris Amanova won silver with 351.4 while Anushka Thokur bagged another bronze for the hosts with an effort which ended after the 34th shot at 341.1.

Prachi, Anushka and Hazel also won the team gold in the event with a tally of 1748. In the senior women’s 3P, the Kazakh’s turned the tables on the Indians by four points, to win gold with a combined score of 1760.

The Indian team was leading the medal tally with 39 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze medals on Tuesday.

EOM