Para Asian Games 2023: Para Shooter Sidhartha Babu Bags Gold With Games Record In Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH 1 Event

Hangzhou (China), October 26: Para Shooter Sidhartha Babu won the gold medal with Games record total of 247.7 in mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 event in the ongoing Para Asian Games 2023 on Thursday (October 26).

Babu, who qualified for the final earlier in the day with 620.3, defeated the qualification record-breaker Dong Chao of China to clinch the yellow metal. Chao finished with a total of 247.5 in the final to settle for silver, while Abdullah Alyarani of UAE bagged bronze with a total of 226.6.

Sidhartha Babu breaks Asian Games record en-route to Hangzhou 2022 Gold (Image Courtesy: Sports Arena X Handle)

Babu's compatriot Avani Lekhara, who had won gold in the R2 - Women's 10m AR Stand SH1 event, finished eighth in the mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 event with a total of 119.6. This was the fourth medal in shooting at the Hangzhou 2022 Para Asian Games.

Rudransh Khandelwal bagged two silver medals - one in Men's 10m Air Pistol SH1 event and one one Men's 50m Air Pistol SH1 event, while Manish Narwal and Rubina Francis also landed bronze in Men's 10m Air Pistol SH1 event and Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1 event respectively.

The mixed 50m rifle prone event medal took India's gold medal count to 17 and the overall tally to 70, which also includes 21 silver and 32 bronze as para athletes bagged three to open day 4 at the games.

Earlier on Thursday (October 26), Indian men's doubles archers as well as track athletes Narayan Thakur and Shreyansh Trivedi, and shot putter Rohit Kumar won bronze in their respective events.

Shot Putter Sachin Sajerao Khilari bagged the first gold medal of day 4. India is currently sixth in the Para Asian Games 2023 medal table with 70 medals - 17 Gold, 21 Silver and 32 bronze.