Manu Bhaker becomes first Indian shooter to win gold at Youth Olympics
Manu Bhaker claimed India's first ever gold medal in shooting at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
The 16-year-old Bhaker shot 236.5 to finish on top of the podium in the women's 10m air pistol event, making up for the heartbreak at the Asian Games in Indonesia and the World Championship where she could not live up to her billing.
Russia's Iana Enina won the silver with 235.9, while Nino Khutsiberidze bagged the bronze medal.
Bhaker began the eight-woman final with a 10.0 and followed it up with a 10.1 and 10.4. She led the Stage 1 with 99.3 after a sequence that included seven scores of 10 and above.
#TiroDeportivo - Pistola de aire comprimido 10m mujeres#Shooting - 10m Air Pistol Women
Oro BHAKER Manu IND @ioaindia
Plata ENINA Iana RUS @Olympic_Russia
Bronce KHUTSIBERIDZE Nino GEO @ISSF_Shooting pic.twitter.com/1Tu0Fbdw58
Buenos Aires 2018 (@BuenosAires2018) October 9, 2018
Two 9.8 in the beginning of second stage (elimination) were followed by a 10.1 and 9.9, helping her maintain the lead over Thailand's Kanyakorn Hirunphoem by some distance.
The World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medallist extended her domination in the following shots and looked to be on course for the yellow metal. She slipped once to the second place but quickly regained the top position.
Meanwhile, Russian Iana Enina jumped to second with a 10.7. There was another 10.7 by Enina but she could not catch up with Bhaker.
Earlier, Bhaker topped the qualifying with 576, which included a series of 95, 96, 96, 96, 95, 98 and placed second and third in the qualification were Russia's Enina Iana and Chinese Lu Kaiman with 569, the gulf in scores clearly highlighting the form the Indian was in.
Seeking to rediscover her habit of finishing on the podium after heartbreaks at the Asian Games and a none-too-impressive outing at the World Championships, Bhaker quickly got into the groove and showed her intent through the qualifying phase.
Having suffered the first significant loss of her young career in Indonesia after an astonishing run that made her one of India's biggest prospects, Bhaker lived up to the billing in the Argentine capital, showing tremendous mental strength to achieve her goal.
Representing her country in the women's 10m air pistol event, Bhaker has won medals at all major events she has participated barring the recent Asian Games.
At the 2017 Asian Junior Championships, she won a silver medal but at the 2018 ISSF World Cup held in Mexico, she returned with two gold medals. She won the women's 10m air pistol and in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team events.
The girl from Jhajjar, Haryana followed that up with a gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.
(With inputs from PTI)
Courtesy: www.indiatoday.in
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Cong members detained in Raipur during protest against Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar
Raipur (PTI): Several Congress members were detained after they took out a foot march to the residence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai here while alleging that Union minister Amit Shah had insulted Dr BR Ambedkar, police said on Tuesday.
Members of the opposition Congress and its youth wing started the protest march from Raipur's Gandhi Maidan on Monday afternoon.
While they were heading towards the CM's residence, several protesters were detained and later let off in the evening, a police official said.
The opposition party members also tried to 'gherao' the residence of CM Sai to register their protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar in Parliament recently.
Heavy police security was deployed near the CM's house to stop the agitating Congress workers. Police also used a water cannon to disperse the protesters, a party functionary said.
Speaking to reporters, Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib, who led the protest, said, "The way Amit Shah made fun of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament, we demand that he should resign. He should apologise to the people of the whole country.''
Chhattisgarh Congress chief Deepak Baij and state Youth Congress head Akash Sharma also participated in the foot march.
The Congress leaders also raised the issues pertaining to law and order, sale of narcotics, drugs, high power tariff and unemployment in the state.
Earlier, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Baij addressed a gathering of party workers in front of the Raipur Municipal Corporation.
Baij expressed concern over the law and order situation in the state while referring to an incident of firing at a man outside the Central Jail in Raipur last month.
Further targeting the BJP government, Baij claimed women were not safe in the state.
