Hriday, Nancy win silver in 10m air rifle at Baku World Cup

Hriday Hazarika and Nancy achieved silver medals in the 10m air rifle events at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hriday displayed an impressive performance in the final, scoring 251.9 points, narrowly missing out to Hungary’s Zalan Pekler (252.4). Nancy also put up a strong fight against China’s Han Jiayu, securing 253.3 points compared to Han’s 254.0, ultimately earning a silver medal.

Both athletes achieved their first individual senior World Cup stage medals in a highly competitive field. The qualification round was marked by high scores, with Zalan Pekler (636.2) and China’s Sheng Lihao (637.9), the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, surpassing the existing world record. Sheng broke his own previous record set in Bhopal in March.

Hriday secured a spot in the final, finishing in seventh place with a score of 630.3. He showcased even better performance in the 24-shot final, consistently scoring well, with his lowest score being 10.1 in the very first shot. Pekler, on the other hand, maintained the lead from the beginning, with Hriday closely chasing him throughout the competition.

Hriday, the 2018 junior world champion from Narayanpur, Assam, has been eagerly awaiting this medal for a long time. Despite facing setbacks due to injuries and poor form, he has shown tremendous progress this year. With the achievement of a World Cup medal, Hriday’s focus will now be on securing a spot for India in the Paris Olympics through the upcoming world championships.

“I feel that I have become more mature and capable of handling pressure situations,” expressed Hriday. “I didn’t have any specific expectations for this tournament; my main goal was to stick to my routine and achieve a good score.”

Hriday further commented, “Although I’m slightly disappointed about not winning the gold, I had hoped to catch up to the leader. Unfortunately, a poor shot at the beginning proved to be crucial. Nevertheless, I’m glad that I managed to achieve a high score in a challenging final. My focus will now shift to the upcoming world championships.”

In the qualification round, Nancy secured the seventh position with a score of 631.6. Han Jiayu claimed the top spot with 634.3 points, while two other Indian shooters, Ramita (631.4) and Tilottama Sen (629.7), finished ninth and fifteenth, respectively.

The final round featured prominent athletes such as the reigning Olympic Champion Nina Christen from Switzerland and experienced Norwegian shooter Jeannette Hegg Duestad. Nancy displayed remarkable consistency throughout the final, putting up strong scores and giving tough competition to Jiayu. Despite her efforts, she ultimately secured the second position. This valuable experience will undoubtedly benefit Nancy in her future endeavours.