Rio Olympics 2016: 5 Shooters who can ruin India's medal hopes
India’s hopes of medals at the Rio Olympics will rest greatly on the shooting talents that will be representing the country. The contingent includes Beijing Gold Medalist Abhinav Bindra and London Bronze medalist Gagan Narang apart from former World number one Heena Sidhu, apart from some bright young talents like Apurvi Chandela and Ayonika Paul.
However, champions that these shooters are, they will be up against the best of the world on the grandest stage at Rio. Even though India’s medal hopes are bright, some of them might not materialise in front of the great names of the shooting world, who too will leave no stone unturned to stamp their authority and assert their greatness on the Olympic stage. Let’s take a look at some of the names who are well and truly capable of raining on India’s parade in Olympics
1) Jin Jong-oh
India’s Jitu Rai is a pocket dynamite and his climb to the top of rankings in 10m air pistol in 2014 after his spectacular run in the World Cup in Munich is a testimony to the punch this Indian shooter of Nepalese origin packs.
But he will be up against another of his kind when he goes to Rio and aims for that elusive Gold. Jin Jong-oh is a triple Olympic champion and one of the most successful individual shooters at the Olympics. He also holds the world record in 10m air pistol event.
But going into Rio, it’s Jitu Rai who holds the aces as he pipped Jong-oh to clinch the silver medal in the World Cup held at Baku, which incidentally was the last shooting competition before the Olympics. Rai, though, will be wary of Jin Jong-oh and would know that repeat of Baku heroics would be difficult in front of the London Olympics Gold Medalist.