With 2 gold & a silver, Aishwary is India's top gun at Asian Games

BHOPAL: MP Shooting Academy prodigy, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar has emerged the most successful Indian athlete of the Asian Games with two gold, a silver, and a bronze medals in his kitty.

On Friday, he won the team gold and set a world record and an individual silver in the men 50m Rifle 3Ps. India achieved a remarkable score of 1769, surpassing the USA's previous record set in Peru last year by eight points.

Madhya Pradesh is a shooting sports hub. If anyone has any doubt, then one can go through the shooting game results in the ongoing Hangzhou Asian Games in China.

So far, India have won 18 medals including seven by MP players. It is by far the best performance at a continental showpiece.

Congratulating Aishwary, sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia said, "This is the reason why I started the MP Shooting Academy. Players like Aishwary have proved that talent only needs nurturing and proper facilities. We have provided it, and he has proved his mettle." In the Men's 3P final, Aishwary orchestrated a brilliant comeback after trailing at sixth position.

Despite tough opening, Aishwary bagged silver medal in Men's 3P finals
In the Men's 3P final, Aishwary orchestrated a brilliant comeback after trailing at sixth position at the end of the first 15-standing position shots. He had a tough opening as his first five shots totalled 48.8. But that did not deter him. He plotted his comeback perfectly, improving to fifth position after the 15-prone shots and then fired a strong standing round, at one stage hitting a series of six consecutive shots of 10.3 and above to clinch silver as China's Du Linshu, whose upward graph began earlier this year at the Bhopal World Cup where he won gold and silver, won gold with a games record of 460.6 in the 45-shot final. Aishwary was 0.9 behind while China's Tian Jiaming took bronze. The Indian team secured the gold medal with a score of 1769 in the men's 5 rifle 3 positions event, featuring Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale, and Akhil Sheoran. Earlier, Swapnil Kusale and Aishwary Tomar qualified 1-2 with an Asian and Games record score of 591 in qualification. Akhil Sheoran also shot a strong 587 to finish fifth as the trio won the team gold shattering the world record by eight points.

Aishwary's performance at the Asian Games included an individual bronze in the 10m air rifle event and a silver in the 50m rifle 3-positions event. He also contributed to India's team gold medals in both the 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3-positions events. Another shooter from MP Ashi Chouksey has won 3 medals in the ongoing Games. TNN


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