Anish Bhanwala, a 21-year-old pistol shooter, created history by winning India’s first-ever medal in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol category during an exciting event at the ISSF World Cup Final. The young athlete brought up a well-deserved bronze in this esteemed competition because of his outstanding performance. Anish showed incredible technique in the final, scoring 27 points to bring away the bronze.
For Anish, the win was the crown to an eventful year filled with noteworthy accomplishments. Before this victory, he won a senior Asian Championships medal and his first senior individual ISSF World Cup stage medal. And to top it all off, Anish’s promising career gained him a coveted spot in the Paris Olympic Quota.
A medal in the final start as @anish__bhanwala wins bronze🥉 in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol 🔫 at the @issf_official World Cup Final in Doha, Qatar 🇶🇦 Super effort in a top field young man👏 🔥🎉🇮🇳#IndianShooting #TeamIndia #Nishanebaaz #ShootingStar pic.twitter.com/RVNtmE8xJT
— NRAI (@OfficialNRAI) November 24, 2023
Anish faced difficulties at the Doha World Cup Final. He had to deal with fierce opposition as the last competitor representing India to make it to the six-man final. With a qualification score of 581, he was able to move up to seventh place, surpassing German contender Christian Reitz. But the competition heated up when all three of the medalists from the Baku World Championship competed in the final.
In the end, Peter Florian of Germany—who had finished third in the World Championship—claimed the gold medal. Florian finished first because of his outstanding performance, which showed four perfect fives at the start and an additional five in the seventh series. With 33 blows, Li Yuehong, the current world champion and double Olympic medallist from China, claimed the silver medal.
Throughout the final, Anish showed determination and strength by keeping up with the intense competition. In his third and fourth series, he scored two perfect fives in addition to three series of four hits. Anish did well, even though he was two points behind the Chinese world champion Yuehong.
Other competitors were eliminated during the competition, with Chinese shooter Jueming Zhang being the first to go out after 12 hits in the first four series. Clement Bessaguet, who faced a no-hit in the sixth series, and Matej Rampula, a Czech shooter, were eliminated after collecting eighteen hits in the previous five series.
Rampula’s performance guaranteed him a spot on the podium, which sealed Anish’s medal. This remarkable accomplishment is credited to Anish Bhanwala’s personal talent as well as the growing position of India in international shooting sports. The teenage shooter’s performance in the Doha World Cup Final is evidence of his skill, tenacity, and promising future in the competitive shooting world.
