Cairo: India’s Anish Bhanwala endured two nerve-wracking shoot-offs in a high-quality 25m rapid-fire pistol final to clinch the biggest medal in his shooting career, a silver at the ISSF World Championships (Pistol/Rifle) here on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Haryana marksman more than made up for his 2024 Paris Olympics disappointment with a steady performance that saw him first survive a shoot-off for the third place, and then ward off the challenge from Ukraine’s Maksym Horodynets to win the silver medal with a score of 28 in a competition that tested the resolve of all the six finalists.
The Sonipat shooter looked determined on Sunday as he first qualified for the finals in second place with a brilliant 585.
After shooting 291 in Stage 1 of the qualification on Saturday, he came back determined to notch up 294 in Stage 2 on Sunday and make it to the first pistol final of the World Championships.