Palak Gulia, Sainyam stay in hunt for 10m air pistol Paris Olympics quota

Young Indian shooters Palak Gulia and Sainyam kept the hope for the 2024 Paris Olympics quota in 10m air pistol alive after reaching the final of the event at the last Olympic qualification in Rio De Janiero on Saturday.

The final of the event will be on Sunday and if manages to win a quota, it will be the 20th Indian quota in Shooting and the eighth in pistol.

Reigning Asian Games champion Palak shot a score of 578 in the first qualification relay while Sainyam shot an identical score of 578 in the second qualification relay to secure their spots in the final.

Both shooters will be eyeing the one spot of the two available quota places.

Third Indian shooter Surbhi Rao also shot 578 but was unlucky to miss out on the final spot as she was knocked out on lesser hits in the inner 10 rings, finishing ninth.

Out of four shooters who hit 578, Surbhi Rao was the only one who missed out as Azerbaijan's Nigar Nasirova took the eighth and final qualifying spot.

Mariami Profiashvili topped the field with a 582, while Hungarian ace Veronika Major also made the cut with shooters from France, Armenia, and Thailand in the mix.

India has won a total of 19 Olympics quotas till now in Shooting with eight in rifle, seven in pistol, and four in shotgun.