Shooting Nationals: Anjum Moudgil Claims Third Straight Title

While top shooters continue to dominate National Championship, Anjum Moudgil, a Tokyo Olympics quota holder, claims third straight title in 50m rifle 3 positions. Manu Bhaker, who is also Tokyo Olympics quota winner, claimed her seventh gold at Nationals. Anjum, Manu Bhaker and Yashaswini Singh Deswal, they all won gold in their respective events at the on-going 63rd  National Shooting Championship Competition in Bhopal on Wednesday.

A sub-inspector in the Punjab Police, Anjum Moudgil, who was representing Punjab, shot 449.9 in the final to win the gold, third year in a row. She also topped qualifications with a score of 1172. Gaayathri of Tamil Nadu won silver with a score of 447.3 while Haryana’s Nischal won bronze with a score of 434.3. Nischal also won gold in the junior event.

The World Championship silver medallist Anjum is the first to win the Olympic quota for shooting in the current cycle for Tokyo

A team of Abhishek Verma and Yashaswini, who were representing Haryana in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, beat Maharashtra’s Harshada Nithave and Aniket 16-10 in the final. Haryana’s Manu and Sarabjot beat Punjab’s Khusheerat and Arshdeep Banga 16-8 in the final to win the junior gold in the event. This is Manu’s seventh gold in the Nationals.

Key Takeaways:

• Anjum Moudgil, a Tokyo Olympics quota holder, won the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions title for a third consecutive year at Nationals in Bhopal
• Manu Bhaker, another of India’s 15 Tokyo Olympics quota winners, also won seventh gold in the Nationals
• Anjum, Manu Bhaker and Yashaswini Singh Deswal, they all won gold in their respective events

In July this year, Anjum shot better than the world record to beat Mehuli Ghoshby 1.7 point, winning the women’s 10m Air Rifle gold at the XII Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Masters shooting competition.

Read More: My Priority Is Taekwondo, Everything Else Comes After It: Afreen Hyder

In September 2018, Anjum became the first Indian shooter to secure am Olympic quota for India. She claimed silver medal in Women’s 10m air rifle event at ISSF World Championships in South Korea and emerged on top. In May, she secured second-place in the women’s ranking. Two months later, she smashed the world record in women’s 10m air rifle at Masters Meet in New Delhi.

While securing a Olympic Quota Anjum also becomes the first woman to win an Individual Air Rifle medal at the World Championships in the Senior category last year

The 24-year-old Anjum won silver in women’s 50m rifle event the 21st Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast last year.

In August this year, the brilliant shooter won five gold medals and a silver medal in World Police Games in Chengdu, China. Talking about her strategies in the Olympic next year, Anjum explained, “I am changing a few technical aspects and my equipment. I am trying to adjust with the changes and working hard to improving my mistakes. That is what I am targeting. I am trying to shooting my personal best in every competition and learning to be better.”

READ: Look Beyond Cricket, Our Sportswomen Are Winning Golds!

Feature Picture Credit: Outlook India

Read More Stories By Ria Das