Rajput wins silver in ISSF World Cup

Ace shooter Sanjeev Rajput clinched the silver medal in the men's 50-metre rifle 3 position event at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Ajerbaijan, on Tuesday.

The Indian marksman scored 456.9 to win the silver medal in the last World Cup before the Rio Olympic Games.

Croatia's Petar Gorsa won the gold with a score of 457.5, while Hyeonjun Kim of Korea bagged the bronze with 445.5.

Rajput finished seventh in the qualification with a score of 1167 in kneeling, prone and standing position, while Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang was 23rd with 1161.

Chain Singh was placed 32nd with a total of 1159.

Rajput had secured a place at the Rio Olympics after finishing fourth in the men's 50m three-position rifle event in the Asian qualifiers, at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in Delhi, in February. However, he wasn't named in India's final squad for the Games. Trap ace Manavjit Singh Sandhu got the nod ahead of the two-time Olympian following consistent scores in the selection trials.

India's shooters for the Olympics: Abhinav Bindra (10M Air Rifle Men), Gagan Narang (50M Rifle 3 Positions Men, 50M Rifle Prone Men, 10M Air Rifle Men), Chain Singh (50M Rifle 3 Positions Men, 50M Rifle Prone Men), Jitu Rai (50M Free Pistol Men, 10M Air Pistol Men), Gurpreet Singh (25M Rapid Fire Pistol Men, 10M Air Pistol Men), PN Prakash (50M Pistol Men), Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Trap Men), Kynan Chenai (Trap Men), Mairaj Ahmad Khan (Skeet Men), Apurvi Chandela (10M Air Rifle Women), Ayonika Paul (10M Air Rifle Women), Heena Sidhu (10M Air Pistol, 25M Pistol Women).

IMAGE: Sanjeev Rajput