Shooter Jitu Rai eyes podium finish at Commonwealth Games

Transiting from anonymous to well-known, shooter Jitu Rai is "very hopeful" of a podium finish in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, the confidence emanating from the historic back-to-back medals, including a gold, he had shot in the ISSF World Cup recently

New Delhi: Transiting from anonymous to well-known, shooter Jitu Rai is "very hopeful" of a podium finish in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, the confidence emanating from the historic back-to-back medals, including a gold, he had shot in the ISSF World Cup recently.

Jitu Rai

The double in Maribor, Slovenia earlier this month — a first in the history of Indian shooting in World Cup, was preceded by a silver in the ISSF World Cup in Munich.

“This performance will help me in the long run definitely, but as of now, I am pretty confident of winning a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” Jitu told PTI yesterday.

Impressed with his recent performances, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) today rewarded the 27-year-old pistol shooter with a cash award of Rs 5 lakh. The Lucknow-born Rai, who is based in the Army Marksman Unit in Mhow, will be competing in the free pistol event in CWG. He had won a silver in air pistol in Munich before winning another in Maribor to go with his gold medal.

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