NEW DELHI: Tejaswini Sawant scripted history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to clinch a gold medal at the World Championships with a world-record equalling score in the 50m Rifle Prone event in Munich, Germany.
Sawant shot a score of 597 (100,100,100,99,99,99), equalling the 1998 record set by Marina Bobkova of Russia.
The 29-year-old, who clinched gold medals in the Commonwealth Games Air Rifle event, was level with Poland's Ewa Joanna Nowakowska in the final score but managed to clinch the top honours with a better perfect score tally of 41.
Kazakhstan's Olga Dovgun settled for the bronze with a score of 596.
An elated Tejaswini said she only wanted to give her best in the event and was not event thinking about a medal let alone the world record.
"The way we were training, I thought I would be getting my personal best. I was not thinking about a medal or a world record. Having got both, I can't even explain how I am feeling right now. It's just amazing," the shooter from Kolhapur told PTI from Munich.
"My coaches, including Kazakh coach Stanislav Lapidus, made some plans for me and I am glad that everything worked accordingly," she added.
Tejaswini said although pursuing shooting is no easy task in small towns like hers, she made it big due to her parents' support.
"There are difficulties but instead of complaining, I think it is better to use them as motivation and work harder. That's what my parents taught me while they supported my dreams," she said.
"The more problems you face in pursuit of your dreams, the more delightful your success becomes. As far as problems of ammunition shortage are concerned, at least I have never faced them. My practice has never been held up because of such issues," she added.
Tejaswini said the morale-boosting historic triumph also sets her up perfectly for the Commonwealth Games this October.
"The preparations has been on for a long time and this has just added to my confidence. I can't describe how happy I am right now," she said.
National coach Sunny Thomas was equally elated for his ward.
"She is only the fifth world-record holder in India after Gagan Narang, Suma Shirur, Ronjan Singh Sodhi, Asher Noria. What she did today is truly remarkable," Thomas said.
Asked whether he expected her to achieve the feat, Thomas said more then Prone, he was hoping for a medal from her in the Rifle 3 Position event.
"She was shooting well since yesterday. So I knew she would do something. I was expecting her to win a medal in 3 Position and we were disappointed when she didn't. But she more then made up for it in Prone," he said.
"She is the first woman to do it for India and it is a proud moment for the country," he added.
Read more: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com
World Championship in Milan: Vijender and Co are Ready for Fight
0 comments Posted by Prem at 12:21 AMWith the World Championship in Milan, Italy set to begin on Tuesday, Indian boxing is hoping to take yet another giant step. A solid performance there will reaffirm the belief that the sport has truly found its feet in India. More importantly, the boxers will also be keen to prove that they deserve to share the spoils of World Series Boxing.
The recently-crowned Khel Ratna will not be the lone hope, as flyweight T Nanao Singh (World No.5) and heavyweight Dinesh Kumar (World No.6) will also be trying to rise up the ladder. Expectations will also be high from seasoned pro Akhil Kumar (57kg) and Jitender Kumar (54kg) who have been, literally, counting days for this coveted event after their inspired show in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics.
And then there is Suranjoy Singh (51 kg) who ended India’s 15-year drought in the Asian Championship in Zuhai with a gold.
Ultimately, it will boil down to will power as odds will be stacked heavily against them this time with as many as 700 pugilists vying for glory. The unpredictability factor will be very high as there will be 6-7 bouts to ensure a medal for a boxer.
"Boys need to deliver power punches each time," chief coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu had said before leaving for the championship. The coach is right, as you can’t rest on your laurels. The nine-member team will need to keep in mind that India has never won a medal in the elite championship. But then, the fans will also not forget that the spirits have never soared so high in Indian boxing before.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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