Cairo, Nov 10 (IANS) Samrat Rana etched his name into the history books by winning the men’s 10m air pistol gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Rifle/Pistol in Cairo on Monday, becoming the first Indian ever to clinch the individual air pistol world title.

Rana, competing in his first senior World Championships, held his nerve in a tense final to deliver a stunning performance, finishing with a score of 243.7, just 0.4 points ahead of China’s Hu Kai. His compatriot Varun Tomar completed a double podium for India, taking home the bronze medal with 221.7.

“I still can’t believe it. It was my first senior World C’ships and winning gold is unbelievable,” Rana was quoted as saying by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Monday. “I was just focusing on my technique, not looking at the screen and trying to repeat the process.”

Rana became only the fifth Indian shooter to win a world title in an Olympic event, joining the elite list of Abhinav Bindra, Rudrankksh Patil, Tejaswini Sawant, and the mixed team pair of Shiva Narwal and Esha Singh.

The 22-year-old started strongly in the final, holding a 0.3-point lead after the first two-shot elimination round. However, midway through the final, he slipped to third place with 181.2, trailing Tomar by just 0.2 points. Showing remarkable composure, Rana stormed back in the next six shots — producing two perfect 10.9s — to seize control of the contest.

With the title on the line, he needed at least a 10.3 on his final shot to edge out Hu Kai — and he delivered a 10.6 to secure the gold.

Earlier in the day, both Rana and Tomar dominated the qualification round, each shooting 586, with Rana finishing on top. Along with Shravan Kumar (582), who narrowly missed the individual final, the trio also combined to clinch India’s men’s 10m air pistol team gold medal.

However, the day wasn’t all smooth sailing for India. Paris 2024 Olympic medallists Manu Bhaker and Swapnil Kusale endured tough outings. Bhaker, competing in the women’s 10m air pistol final, was leading midway before an 8.8 on her 14th shot dragged her down to seventh place. Esha Singh finished sixth, faltering with an 8.4 on her 16th shot.

In the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions, Kusale suffered an early exit after shooting 575 in the elimination round. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (592) and Niraj Kumar (592), however, advanced to the qualification stage.

–IANS

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