India bags fifth gold in shooting at Asian Games, women's team strikes silver
Hangzhou (PTI): Medals continued to rain for India in the shooting arena here with the country clinching a gold in men's 50m rifle three-positions team event with a world record, while the Esha Singh-led women's 10m air pistol trio bagged a silver at the Asian Games on Friday.
The men's 50m rifle 3-positions team, comprising the young trio of Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (591), Swapnil Kusale (591) and Akhil Sheoran (587), overcame the Chinese challenge with ease with a score of 1769 to take the top podium finish, while the hosts were a clear six points adrift with 1763 points.
South Korea was a distant third with 1748 points.
Aishwary and Swapnil shot superbly to make the individual finals as well and are placed first and second after the qualification round.
Akhil, despite finishing fifth with 587 in qualification, will miss out on the eight-team finals as only two shooters per country are allowed in the individual medal round.
India has so far amassed 15 medals at the shooting range, of which five are gold.
Teenager Esha led the front as she guided the Indian women's 10m air pistol team to a silver medal.
The trio of 18-year-old Esha (579), Palak (577) and Divya TS (575) aggregated 1731 points for their silver medal, while China took the gold with a total of 1736, which is an Asian Games record.
Chinese Taipei finished with a bronze, totalling 1723.
Esha and Palak will also have a chance to win individual medals as they both made it to the eight-shooter final, placed fifth and seventh after the qualification round. Divya missed the cut, finishing 10th.
The scores in the qualification round decide the team medallists, while eight top-scoring shooters move into the finals to win individual glory.
Esha had also claimed a silver medal in the women's individual 25m pistol event on Wednesday, while the trio of Manu Bhaker, Esha and Rhythm Sangwan had fired in tandem to shoot the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol team event on the same day.
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People are voting fearlessly in West Bengal this time: PM Modi
Hardoi (UP) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said voters
are casting their vote in West Bengal this time in a "fearless atmosphere", which was unimaginable in the past six or seven decades.
He also asserted that the assembly poll results on May 4 will further strengthen the resolve of a developed India.
Voting is underway in 142 constituencies of West Bengal in the second and final phase of polling.
Addressing a gathering after the inauguration of the Ganga Expressway here, Modi said today marks an important day in the festival of democracy.
"Voting for the second phase is underway in Bengal, and reports indicate a massive turnout, with people stepping out in large numbers just like in the first phase. Images of long queues at polling stations are flooding social media, reflecting the enthusiasm of the people to exercise their democratic right," he said.
"What we are witnessing in Bengal today is unprecedented which was difficult to imagine in the past six to seven decades, a fearless environment where people are voting without fear," he said.
The prime minister said this is a powerful symbol of the country's Constitution and the strengthening of democracy.
"I express my gratitude to the great people of Bengal for being so aware of their rights and participating in large numbers," he said.
With several hours of voting still left, the prime minister urged the people of Bengal to continue participating in this democratic festival with the same enthusiasm.
Modi said in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP and NDA achieved a historic and decisive victory.
"Just yesterday, results of local body elections in Gujarat showed that the BJP secured victories in nearly 80 to 85 percent of municipalities and panchayats.
"The results on May 4 will further strengthen the resolve of a developed India and will infuse new energy into the pace of development of the country."
The first phase of polling for 152 seats -- out of the 294-member West Bengal assembly -- was held on April 23.
The counting of votes for assembly polls in Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry, Assam and Tamil Nadu will take place on May 4.
