Debutants make their mark in third online shooting championship

Having missed his shooting practice while confined in his home, Rudrankksh Patil had decided to compete in the third edition of the International Online Shooting Championship on Saturday.

And the Maharashtrian shooter not only ended up winning the 10m Air Rifle event in his very first try but also shattered the world record score in the process.

"There were no matches happening for three months and I was missing my practices as well. So, this was a pretty good warm-up for future competitions," Rudrankksh Patil said after the match.

After qualifying for the elimination round from the top position with a score of 105.7, Rudrankksh Patil shot a total score of 252.9 to win the event comprehensively.

Consequently, the Indian teenager has outdone China’s Haonan Yu, whose world record score in the 10m Air Rifle event at the 2019 ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro was set at 252.8.

Rudrankksh Patil’s impressive effort, however, won’t be considered by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), as the online shooting championship isn’t a recognized event by the world body.

Rudrankksh Patil’s compatriot Yash Vardhan finished second in the 10m Air Rifle event with a score of 250.8, while France's Etienne Germond finished third with a score of 228.5.

Manu Bhaker returns, bags virtual podium

The 10m Air Pistol remained an all-Indian affair in the top three positions with yet another online championship debutant Yashaswini Singh Deswal taking the honours.

The 23-year-old pistol ace, whose gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro World Cup last year won her an Olympic quota, managed to shoot 243.8 to finish ahead of fellow Indian shooters Gaurav Rana and Manu Bhaker.

Competing in the third edition of the online shooting championship with a brand-new electronic target system only recently installed at her home, Manu Bhaker shot 218.3 to finish third behind Gaurav Rana (240.6).

After the success of the first and second edition of the International Online shooting Championship, the third version hosted a larger field of competitors.

With the list expanding to include up to 100 participants, shooters from India, Russia, England, Scotland, France, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Tajikistan, Latvia and Montenegro came together from across the world in the third edition.

India’s 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang also made an appearance as a special guest with commentary duties throughout the virtual championship.

Final scores:

10m air rifle: 1. Rudrankksh Patil (IND) 252.9, 2. Yash Vardhan (IND) 250.8, 3. Etienne Germond (FRA) 228.5.

10 air pistol: 1. Yashaswini Singh Deswal (IND) 243.8, 2. Gaurav Rana (IND) 240.6, 3. Manu Bhaker (IND) 218.3.