With coach Jitu Rai by his side, Jonathan clinches air pistol gold in style
Jonathan Gavin Anthony wins his first ISSF Junior World Cup title in air pistol shooting, coached by Jitu Rai, as he scores 244.8 in the final.
New Delhi: Even as Jonathan Gavin Anthony was shooting spectacularly in the final of the 10m air pistol, a familiar face sitting just behind him looked tense. Jitu Rai — one of India’s finest pistol shooters and now Jonathan’s coach — knows only too well that a contest isn’t over until the last shot is fired.
He wanted his trainee to stay calm, keep producing big scores, and widen the gap from his rivals. Jonathan did exactly that, building on a solid start to win his maiden ISSF Junior World Cup title at the Karni Singh range here.
He was unstoppable, and the rest of the field simply gave up on chasing him. With a score of 244.8, the 16-year-old Jonathan fell just 1.5 points short of Saurabh Chaudhary’s junior world record. Silver medallist Luca Arrighi of Italy trailed a distant 8.5 points behind. Spain’s Lucas Sanchez won bronze.
“I was feeling the pressure at the start, but when I saw the lead after 15–16 shots, it was like a piece of cake for me,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan was brilliant in the qualification, shooting a formidable 586-19X. In the final, 21 of his 24 shots found the 10-ring.
He has been sharpening his skills under Rai, the multiple World Cup medallist and an Olympic finalist, at his academy in Bagdogra. Earlier this year at the National Games, Jonathan stunned a star-studded field to win the title. The Bengaluru boy — who still loves his cartoons and video games as much as his pistol — has quickly emerged as one of India’s brightest junior talents. After his scores dipped following the National Games, his mother Ancy took him to Rai’s academy for guidance.
“When I started training him, his scores were really low. He is talented, but you need to teach them how to handle match pressure. He kept improving, and today he was just brilliant. It really made me feel proud,” said Rai.
Nobody knows better than Rai the challenge of staying at the top. Rai was India’s biggest medal hope going into the 2016 Rio Olympics, having won medals at the World Championships, Asian Games, and multiple World Cups during an extraordinary run. Yet an Olympic medal eluded him.
“I was the first Indian pistol shooter to qualify for an Olympic final but couldn’t win a medal. That dream remained unfulfilled. I started my academy so that I can help produce Olympic champions. I have so much experience, and I want to give back to the sport,” said Rai. “If I can guide someone to win an Olympic medal, my pain will be eased. Climbing to the top takes a lot of hard work, but staying there is even harder.”
Rai retired from the Army last year and opened his academy in Bagdogra, West Bengal, with an aim to teach the youngsters. He has invested his savings to build a range, purchase electronic targets, and acquire weapons.
The facility has 14 lanes and is already attracting top shooters across the country. He even arranges accommodation for his students at a nominal cost. “The sport isn’t very popular locally. It’s the first shooting academy in the region, and we have a few local shooters. But I’ve trainees from Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Kolkata and I am enjoying sharing my 17 years of experience in shooting.”
Jitu has also been roped in for national coaching duty and he travelled with the junior team in a few tournaments.
Rashmika wins silver
In the women’s 10m pistol event, India’a Rashmika Sahgal won silver with Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) Evelina Sheina taking gold in a dominant fashion (240.9). Rashmika, who recently won the junior title at Asian Championships, recovered from a slow start to score 236.1. Iran’s Fatemeh Shekari won bronze.
