New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) The Indian shooting team finished a credible second in the year’s first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the young trap mixed team pair of Lakshay Sheoran and Neeru missed a shot at a potential medal, even gold, by a point, in the final event of the roster.

With the help of the bronze picked up by the mixed team air pistol pair of Suruchi and Saurabh Chaudhary earlier in the day on Thursday (April 10), India’s tally of four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, put them just behind China, who finished on top of the standings with five gold, three silver and three bronze medals, thanks to a 1-2 in the mixed team air pistol on the final day. The other gold of the day was picked by Chinese Taipei in the mixed team trap.

The highlight of India’s performance were the gold medals picked up by Sift Kaur Samra (women's 50m rifle 3 positions), Rudrankksh Patil (10m air rifle men), Suruchi (10m air pistol women), and Vijayveer Sidhu (25m rapid-fire pistol men), the last named becoming the first Indian to ever win an ISSF World Cup gold in the event. Teenager Suruchi’s emphatic victory over a top field was also a showstopping moment of the tournament.

The four together average just 21 years of age, and two among them, Sift and Vijayveer, are already Olympians.

Also noteworthy was the silver-winning performance in the women’s 25m pistol by yet another young Paris Olympian, Esha Singh, all of 20 and a reigning mixed team world champion, signalling no letup in intent after a barren maiden Olympic Games.

Heartwarming performances were also delivered by the likes of Chain Singh, an Asian Games medallist in men’s 3P from over a decade ago, winning his first individual ISSF World Cup medal, as well as former Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games champion Saurabh Chaudhary, making a return to the ISSF World Cup medals fold after a gap of two years.

The eldest of the squad, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, who has been competing in ISSF World Cups since 1998, also showed great heart to finish seventh in the men’s trap, finishing second best in a five-way shoot-off for the sixth and last final qualifying spot.

The squad now moves to Lima in Peru, where the second South American leg and the second leg of the combined ISSF World Cup stage will see competitions begin on April 15