CWG Shooting: Harpreet wins gold, silver for Vijay

NEW DELHI - Indian shooter Harpreet Singh won the gold in the men’s 25 metre centre fire pistol event while Vijay Kumar bagged silver amid high drama in a four-way shoot-off at the Commonwealth Games here Sunday.

Navyman Harpreet shot a total of 580 to win his second gold at the Karni Singh Shooting Range. Harpreet fell three points short of the Games record of 583 set by another Indian Jaspal Rana at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. Vijay, who is with the Army, and Harpreet had won the gold in the pairs’ event as well.

After the final round, Vijay, Singapores Lip Meng Poh, England’s Michael Gault and Australia’s Michaelangelo Giustiniano were tied for the second spot with a score of 574.

What followed next was high drama as the four-way shoot-off got underway to determine the silver medallist. Shooters took five shots, and Vijay won the silver with 49 points. Lip Meng got the bronze with a score of 48.

Giustiniano,58, the oldest member of the Australian contingent, had to use his reserve gun in the shoot-out after a malfunction in his main gun. He had just 10 rounds for his reserve gun and decided to go for dry shooting in the sightings, the practice round, before the final shoot-off.

In the shoot-off, Giustiniano did a rare mistake by shooting the target of Lip Meng, who was stationed next to him. With no points, the Australian finished fifth.

There was confusion after the shoot-out and finally Vijay was declared the silver winner.

Veteran English shooter Gault did not take the third shot as his second strayed away and it was impossible to make a podium finish. He had just 17 points from three shots and finished fourth.

In the women’s 10 metre air rifle individual event, Singapores Xiang Wei Jasmine won the gold with a Games record of 501.7 points.

Malaysian girls Nur Ayuni Halim (497.5) and Nur Suryani Taibi Mohamed (496.9) won the silver and bronze.

India’s Shuma Shirur Siddharth (495.4) and Kavitha Yadav (495.1) finished fourth and fifth.