Asian Games: Jitu Rai leads Indian team to bronze

Jitu Rai Sunday spearheaded India's 10 metre air pistol team to clinch the bronze medal in the 17th Asian Games but missed out on an individual medal finishing fifth at the Ongnyeon International Shooting Range here.

A day after winning the gold medal in the 50 metre pistol event, the Indian Army shooter continued his inspiring form to lead the men's team, also comprising Samresh Jung and Prakash Nanjappa, to give India its second bronze from the sport.

Both India and China were tied on 1,743 points but the latter clinched the silver on account of an extra x. The Chinese team had 65x while Indian has 64x. Rai, who won the 50m gold Saturday, shot 585, Jung had 580 and Nanjappa 578.

The gold went to the South Korean team comprising Kim Cheongyong (585), Jin Jongoh (581) and Lee Daemyung (578) with a total score of 1,744. The Chinese team, consisting of Pang Wei (585), Pu Qifeng (583) and Wang Zhiwei (575) had a total score of 1,743.

In the final round, Rai, who qualified at the fourth place, finished fifth with a score of 138.3. South Koreans Kim Cheongyong (201.2) and three-time Olympic champion Jin Jongoh (179.3) won the gold and the bronze respectively while the silver went to China's Pang Wei (199.3).

Rai's compatriots Jung narrowly missed out after he finished ninth while Nanjappa finished 14th in the qualifying round.

The three medals that Indians have won till now are all from shooting. Shweta Chaudhry has also won the bronze in the women's 10m air pistol event Saturday to open India's medal count and shortly after Rai gave the country the first gold medal from the Incheon Games.