Isha-Himanshu make Bollywood style comeback to clinch gold at Junior World Cup Shooting

After what was a thrilling comeback, scripted in movies and OTT content, Isha Taksale and Himanshu clinched gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event on Tuesday at the ISSF Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun New Delhi.

The two were trailing by six points with their opponents and compatriots Shambhavi S. Kshirsagar and Naraen Pranav leading by 15-9.

But then, the Isha-Himanshu duo climbed back and won the next four games to seal the final in front of a raucous crowd whose support was divided between the two Indian pairs in the final.

“We trusted each other and we were confident that we would do well. Himanshu had won gold yesterday, so his confidence was high. My performance wasn’t that great yesterday, wanted to make up for it but we both wanted to do well together and we did it,” said Isha after the gold-winning effort.

Czechia’s Lea Kucerova (centre), Italy's Sofia Gori (left) and International Neutral Athlete Kseniia Samofalova 

“Everyone enjoys such kind of competitions. It was fun and challenging, the crowd was chanting and shouting. My heartbeat was high,” added the youngster from Nagpur who had received pep talk from coach Suma Shirur before coming to final. Suma asked her to stride confidently to the arena.

Himanshu, who was getting scolded and chided from the stands by his personal coach, said they had not lost hope till the end.

“They say, ‘ek tinke par dunya qaayam hai’. We didn’t want to give up hope. So we were not doing like we will not hit a good shot, we knew we can hit good shots. We had not given up,” said Himanshu who had won an individual gold on Monday.

“My personal coach was sitting behind me, I have been with him for seven years, his scolding helps me. It can hurt and motivate.”

The losers had no clue of what had struck them.

They had taken pressure of the last shot to their heart.

“We thought we had to hit just one shot and hit it really and but we couldn’t hit it. That is what cost us,” said Shambhavi.

In the junior men’s trap final, Vinay Pratap Singh Chandrawat was down and out before he roared back, toppled opponents Arjun (from India), Daniel Fernandez de Vicente (Spain) and Tony Meola (USA) to clinch bronze with a score of 34.

Chandrawat pipped Arjun on bib number at 29.

“I had thought that I will finish sixth, or last, but then I saw the scorecard, saw 21 [shots left] and realised that I have time. Then when we had 10 shots left and Arjun was at my score, I knew I was in with a chance to win medal,” said Chandrawat, who ironically lost the silver on bib number to Spain’s Isaac Hernandez, who topped qualification with 120+6, and won silver on 41.

Croatia’s 20-year-old Toni Gudelj put up a commanding show, hitting 44 targets to give his country their first gold medal of the event.

Czechia’s Lea Kucerova clinched the women’s trap junior title with 41 hits, securing her nation’s first medal of the competition. Italy’s Sofia Gori earned silver with 37, while International Neutral Athlete Kseniia Samofalova took bronze with 30.

Tags : Junior World Cup, Shooting, Isha Taksale, Himanshu, New Delhi, Suma Shirur