Tokyo Paralympics: Indian shooter Singhraj Adhana wins bronze medal in men’s 10m air pistol

India’s Singhraj Adhana wins bronze in the men’s 10m air pistol SH1 final at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 on Tuesday (August 31).  

Singhraj clinched the medal with 216.8 points and with this, India’s medal tally stands at 8, which is the highest ever at any Paralympic Games. 

This is second shooting medal for India at the ongoing Paralympic Games after Avani Lekhara’s historic gold in rifle shooting. 

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Adhana dropped out of contention with his poor 19th shot but managed to get back in the reckoning with his 20th attempt as China’s Xiaolong Lou got 8.6.

China dominated the finals with defending champion Chao Yang (237.9 — Paralympic record) and Huang Xing (237.5) winning the gold and silver medals respectively. 

President of India congratulated Singhraj, he wrote, “Singhraj Adana’s winning the bronze medal in shooting at #Paralympics marks a high point in his saga of resilience and determined pursuit of excellence. Congratulations to him for this amazing feat! The nation is proud of you. May you achieve greater glory in the years to come.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Singhraj’s “exceptional” performance. While taking to his Twitter, he wrote, “Exceptional performance by Singhraj Adhana! India’s talented shooter brings home the coveted Bronze Medal.”

“He has worked tremendously hard and achieved remarkable successes. Congratulations to him and best wishes for the endeavours ahead,” he added. 

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Manish Narwal, who topped the qualifications with 575, was eliminated in the seventh place when it mattered the most. Another Indian shooter Deepender Singh was unable to make the final.

Athletes in SH1 category have an impairment affecting one arm and/or the legs, for example resulting from amputations or spinal cord injuries. P1 is a classification for the men’s 10 air pistol competition.

Some shooters compete in a seated position, while others take aim in a standing position as defined in the rules.