India opened its medal account at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Hangzhou on Friday as Sainyam won the silver medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event.The 22-year-old from Chandigarh produced a steady performance in the final, scoring 243.4 to finish second in a strong field. She had qualified for the eight-woman final with a score of 579.Sainyam came into the competition on the back of good domestic form. She had topped the women’s 10m air pistol Trial 2 final at the National Selection Trials in New Delhi with a score of 243.1. Earlier this year, she had also won a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha.The Chandigarh shooter has progressed steadily at the international level over the past few years. In 2023, she won gold medals at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl and the ISSF Junior World Championships in Changwon. She has also finished on the podium at the Khelo India Youth Games.“Sainyam’s podium finish in Hangzhou is a testament to her dedication and technical discipline on the world stage. Competing against a top-tier international field requires immense composure, and her performance reflects the high standards she consistently strives for,” National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo said.Suruchi Inder Singh was the other Indian to qualify for the final. She finished seventh with a score of 137.6 after qualifying with 579-20x.In qualification, Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker recorded the highest score among the Indian shooters with 582-12x while competing under RPO (Ranking Points Only) status.Esha Singh finished 13th with 577-22x, while Lakshita scored 572-14x in her RPO event.
