Despite competing in the same event with two of the world’s best shooters Anjum Moudgil and Apurvi Chandela, the young Elavenil Valarivan was able to close the season as the world No.1 in women’s air rifle. She will be bestowed the ‘’Golden Target’’ award by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) in Munich, Germany, on December 7.
The Golden Target is the award given by the ISSF as a ‘’tribute to the best athletes of the year according to the annual ranking in each of the individual Olympic events’’.
Air rifle shooter Divyansh Singh Panwar and air pistol prodigy Saurabh Chaudhary will also receive the award as the World No.1 for the season in their events.
The 20-year-old Elavenil had wound up the season in a brilliant fashion by winning gold in the World Cup Final in China. She had earlier won the gold in the World Cup in Rio and had placed fourth in the World Cup in Munich.
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The 17-year-old Divyansh won two gold medals in the World Cups in Beijing and Munich, which also fetched him an Olympic quota. He closed the season with the gold in the World Cup Final in China, in both men’s air rifle and the mixed air rifle.
Saurabh Chaudhary did not win the individual medal in the World Cup Final, but had won two gold medals in Delhi and Beijing, apart from the bronze in Rio. Saurabh, who won the Olympic quota in Delhi in the first World Cup of the season, had also swept all the four World Cup gold medals in mixed air pistol with Manu Bhaker.
Interestingly, India had won three of the No.1 spots in the 12 events, the best by any country. China and US had two No.1 ranked shooters, while Britian, Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary and Korea were the other countries to win the ‘’Golden Target’’ award.
This was the icing on the cake for Indian shooting, which had topped the medals table in each of the four World Cups for rifle and pistol in Delhi, Beijing, Munich and Rio, apart from the World Cup Final in Putian, China.
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