Jung breaks national record in air pistol

INDORE: Samresh Jung shot a score of 691.6 points (591+100.6) to win the men’s 10 metres air pistol event at the selection trials for December’s Asian Games in Indore on Monday.

This is the highest score by an Indian so far in the 10m air pistol event. Jung shot a series of 98, 99, 99, 100, 99 and 96 to tally 591 points in the qualifications and then shot 100.6 in the finals to win by more than 10 points.

Jung’s score is more than the Olympic record and the Olympic Gold medal winning score of 690.0 shot by Wang Yifu of China at Athens Olympics in 2004.

Deepak Sharma finished second behind Jung with 681.2 (581+100.2) while Zakir Khan finished third with 676.1 (575+101.1). In the women’s 10m air pistol, Harveen Srao was first with a score of 480.2 (383+97.2), Sonia Rai finished third with 478.1 (383+95.1) and Shweta Chowdhary finished third with 477 (381+96).

Jung first shot to fame during 2005 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by claiming a rich haul of five gold and a bronze medal.

In the women’s 50m rifle prone event, Meena Kumari finished first with 594, Deepali Deshpande was second with 591 and Rajkumari was third with 588. The Asian Games will be held in Doha, Qatar, from Dec 1-14.