India celebrated a spectacular achievement in the Junior World Cup held at the Dr. Karni Singh Range in Tughlakabad on Monday, as Ojasvi Thakur spearheaded a complete sweep of air rifle medals for the host nation.
Sixteen-year-old Ojasvi, who trains under the esteemed Dronacharya awardee Suma Shirur at Mumbai’s Lakshya Club, clinched the gold medal by outperforming 14-year-old Hrudya Shri with a commanding 2.5-point lead.
Seventeen-year-old Shambhavi Kshirsagar, who topped the qualification rounds with an impressive 632.0 and had previously beaten Ojasvi to win gold at the Suhl Junior World Cup earlier this season, secured the bronze medal this time.
The junior men’s air rifle event saw Himanshu deliver a masterclass performance. He thwarted Dmitrii Pimenov of the Independent Neutral Athlete (AIN) from claiming a second gold, winning by a single point in a thrilling finale. Pimenov had narrowed the lead to a mere 0.5 points before the decisive final shot. However, Himanshu, who had also led the qualification with an outstanding 633.7, fired a magnificent 10.5 on his last attempt to dramatically secure the gold.
The 25-metre rapid fire pistol competition saw Mukesh Nelavalli narrowly miss gold, falling to Aleksandr Kovalev of AIN in a 3-1 shoot-off after both athletes finished the final tied at 27 points. Nelavalli had held a comfortable two-point advantage heading into the final series of five shots, but managed only one hit, resulting in the tie-breaker.
With these impressive results, India solidified its position at the top of the medals table, boasting a total of six gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals. The Independent Neutral Athlete (AIN) contingent followed with four gold, two silver, and two bronze.
The results:
- 10m air rifle: Junior men:
1. Himanshu 250.9 (633.7)
2. Dmitrii Pimenov (AIN) 249.9 (630.9)
3. Abhinav Shaw 228.4 (628.4)
5. Naraen Pranav 187.0 (629.5)
RPO: Mohammed Vania 627.1; Piyush Sharma 626.0. - Junior women:
1. Ojasvi Thakur 252.7 (631.9)
2. Hrudya Shri 250.2 (629.8)
3. Shambhavi Kshirsagar 229.4 (632.0)
RPO: Anvi Rathod 628.3; Isha TAksale 625.3. - 25m rapid fire pistol: Junior men:
1. Aleksandr Kovalev (AIN) 27(3) 571
2. Mukesh Nelavalli 27(1) 571
3. Suraj Sharma 21 (577)
4. Sameer Ghulia 15 (572).