Abhinav Bindra Wins Gold at Asian Air Gun Championships

Bindra also won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle team event with Gagan Narang and Chain Singh.

Abhinav Bindra with his gold medal, Silver medalist Yuriy Yurkov (KAZ) and bronze medalist Jaechul Yu (KOR) pose during the medal ceremony for the 10m Air Rifle event. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing Olympics’ gold medalist Abhinav Bindra bagged the gold in the men’s 10m Air Rifle event of the Asian Air Gun Championships on Sunday.

32-year-old Bindra, who won gold in 2008 Olympics in 10m Air Rifle event, shot 208.3 to bag the top prize ahead of Kazakhstan’s world number eight Yurkov Yuriy (206.6) and Korea’s Yu Jaechul (185.3) on the first day of competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range.

Abhinav Bindra takes aim during the 10m Air Rifle men’s qualification round at the 8th Asian Air Gun championship. (Photo: PTI)

It’s always good to win medals. I can’t call it a practice but yes it’s good preparation for Rio Olympics because there were medals at stake. When there is a medal involved we can’t call it practice because there is varying degree of pressure.
– Abhinav Bindra

Gagan Narang, who won a bronze in the same event in 2012 London Olympics, finished fourth with a score of 164.5 while another Indian, Chain Singh was two places below at seventh after notching up 122.7.

Abhinav Bindra, Chain Singh and Gagan Narang pose with the gold medals for the team event for the 10m Air Rifle event. (Photo: PTI)

India won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle team event too with Bindra, Narang and Chain Singh shooting a total of 1868.6. The Korean team of Kim Dajin, Yu Jaechul and Chain Singh (1859.1) finished second and Saudi Arabia’s Mesfer Abound Alammari, Faiz Anazi Ali and Mubarak Mesfer Aldawsari (1824.8) took the third spot.