Jitu Rai shoots 50m pistol gold at Nationals with record score

Thiruvananthapuram: Ace Indian marksman Jitu Rai won the men's 50m pistol National title with a new national record 233 points at the 61st National Shooting Championship here on Friday. 

Rai got the better of Navy-man Omkar Singh who shot 222.4 in the finals while Jitu's army teammate Jai Singh secured bronze with an effort of 198.4. Rai's score of 233 was a new record in the finals of the event. 

Rai also won the team gold in the event combining with Jai and Omprakash Mitherwal for a total score of 1658, leaving Team Air Force, who managed a total of 1626, to the second position. Punjab with 1624 won bronze.

Arjun Singh Cheema of Punjab won the junior men's 50m pistol event shooting 226.5 in the final. Surinder Singh, his state-mate, shot 221.9 for silver while Anmol Jain of Haryana won bronze with 205.1.

Arjun and Surinder, along with Mankaran Preet Singh, also won the junior men's team gold in the event, where Haryana won silver and Delhi bronze.

A total of 4800 men and women shooters from across the country are participating in the 61st shooting Nationals including, 200 wild-card entries.