Indian shooters Nihal Singh and Amir Ahmad Bhat narrowly missed out on qualifying for the final of the mixed 25m pistol (SH1) competition at the Paralympics in Tokyo on Monday. Singh finished 10th with a score of 569, while Bhat placed 11th with 568, falling short of the top eight who advanced to the medal round.
In the precision stage, Singh impressed with a score of 287, placing him fourth. Bhat also performed well, scoring 286 to hold the eighth and final qualifying spot. However, both shooters struggled in the rapid stage, managing only 282 each. This resulted in aggregate scores that were insufficient to secure a place in the final.
The SH1 classification in shooting allows athletes to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position. They can use either a pistol or a rifle.
This was the second consecutive day without a medal for the Indian shooting team at the Paralympics. In the first three days of competition, the team had secured four podium finishes, including a gold medal.
Despite the disappointment, Singh and Bhat displayed commendable consistency in the qualification round. They will be hoping to improve their performance in future events and contribute to India’s medal tally at the Paralympics.
