Record Number Of 15 Shooters Book Berths For Tokyo Olympics 2020

Angad Bajwa (L) & Mairaj Khan (R) did a 1-2 in men’s skeet

That’s how Abhinav Bindra, India’s only individual Olympic gold-medallist, broke down shooting. Over the last 14 months, others have broken it down in simpler terms — See. Shoot. Win.

On Sunday, three more shooters bagged quota places to swell the number to 15 Tokyo berths, an Indian record. After Aishwary Tomar won bronze in the men’s 50m rifle 3-positions, Angad Bajwa and Mairaj Khan won silver and gold in men’s skeet at Asian Championships in Doha. The 1-2 is not only historic — it’s a first for India at this level — but it’s also representative of the sport’s rude health after the Rio Games no-show.

Anjum Moudgil kickstarted the race for quotas with a silver in women’s 10m air rifle at last year’s Worlds in Changwon. Since then, the country’s shooters have been setting records, collecting medals and topping the ranking charts.

Even though India have set new quota benchmarks in the last three Games (9 in 2008, 11 in 2012, 12 in 2016), this 15 should be seen as a new beginning.

Read more in a report by Swaroop Swaminathan published in The Indian Express... (Link given below)

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The Indian Express

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