Shahu Tushar Mane opened the medals tally for India with a silver in air rifle in the Youth Olympics on Sunday.
After being 0.1 point behind Grigorii Shamakov of Russia before the last two shots in the 24-shot final, Sahu missed the gold by 1.7 point with a 9.6 and 9.9 compared to the Russian’s 10.4 and 10.7.
Shahu had qualified third with a score of 623.7 behind shooters from Iran and China who eventually could not make it to the podium.
It was the first big medal for the 16-year-old Shahu who had finished sixth in the junior World Cup in Sydney earlier this season.
He had won the youth bronze in the Asian championship in 2017.
Earlier, Bhaker had the honour of leading the Indian contingent as its flag-bearer as the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympics, in a first, was held on the streets with over two lakh people showing up. The innovative idea outshone the dazzling fireworks and the glow in the Buenos Aires night sky. Invited to the one-of-its kind ceremony, the ‘Wild Boars’ from Thailand were hailed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach.
The ‘Wild Boars’ team captured the attention of the world in June when it was trapped for almost two weeks inside a flooded cave in the Chang Rai province of Thailand. Bach acknowledged their “strength and resilience”.
“They are truly Olympic values and that is why I have asked them to come to Youth Olympic Games to share their experiences with other young athletes,” said Bach.
The results:
Men: 10m air rifle: 1. Grigorii Shamakov (Rus) 249.2 (622.7); 2. Shahu Tushar Mane 247.5 (623.7); 3. Aleksa Mitrovic (Srb) 227.9. (620.4).
