Sift Kaur Samra Wins India's First Gold At ISSF Shooting World Cup, Esha Singh Bags Silver

Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra produced a sensational come-from-behind performance to win her first individual ISSF World Cup gold in the women's 50m rifle 3-positions final, while Esha Singh bagged a second individual World Cup silver in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 23-year-old Sift from Faridkot thus earned India its first gold of the season-opening World Cup stage event at the Tiro Federal Argentino de Buenos Aires shooting range late on Friday. The world record holder was a huge 7.2 points behind Anita Mangold of Germany after 15-shots in the first Kneeling position. However, she staged a dream comeback in the second Prone and final Standing positions to win by a canter in the end.

Sift finished with 458.6 points at the end of the 45-shot final, while Mangold ended 3.3 points behind on 455.3.

Junior World Championship medallist Arina Altukhova of Kazakhstan was third, bowing out after the 44th shot with a tally of 445.9.

India now have three medals -- a gold, a silver and a bronze won earlier in the men's 3P by Chain Singh -- in the competition.

Sensational Sift

Sift did extremely well to qualify in top spot with a strong 590, when the likes of reigning Olympic champion Chiara Leone and former Olympic champion Nina Christen, both from Switzerland, could not make the top eight.

A host of Olympic medallists like Alexandria Le of Kazakhstan and Mary Tucker of the US, also could not cross the qualifying hurdle.

Competing in a stellar field, Sift could not penetrate the 10-ring to begin with and ended the Kneeling position almost out of reckoning. She then found her rhythm in her favourite Prone position and by the end of it, brought the gap down with the leader, now Nele Stark, to about 4.3, but still remained in