Sift Kaur Samra Breaks World Record for India’s First Asian Games Gold

On Day 4 of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra made history by breaking every record imaginable on route to earning gold in the women’s 50m rifle 3 position event. This was the fifth-place overall finish for India and its first individual gold at these Games. The preceding four gold medals were won in a variety of team sports, including equestrian, women’s cricket, and shooting. The other Indian competing in the event, Ashi Chouksey, won bronze in the same competition, bringing India’s total number of medals in Hangzhou to 18.

In a performance to remember, Sift broke the global record, as well as, obviously, the Asian record and the Games record. After 15 shots in each of the standing, prone, and kneeling positions, the 22-year-old’s final score was 469.6. Her score was 2.6 points higher than Seonaid McIntosh’s previous world record, set in Baku earlier this year.

Sift Kaur Samra in Asian Games 2023

Sift’s performance in this competition on Wednesday may be understood in light of the fact that the silver medalist, Qiongyue Zhang of China, scored a total score of 462.3, which is 7.3 points lower than the Indian shooter in first place. She was able to change the color of her medal, though, in the final stroke when India’s Ashi failed and scored a terrible 8.9 while standing, dropping to second place. To eliminate the 1.2 lead and obtain silver, the Chinese just need a 9.9. Ashi had to be content with the bronze medal with a total of 451.9.

Together with China’s Xia Siyu, who won the event due to having the highest inner 10 points (scores that were closest to the center of the target), Sift set an Asian Games record in qualification with a total score of 594 (out of 600). Chouksey qualified in sixth place with a score of 590. Manini Kaushik, on the other hand, came in at number 18 with a score of 580.

This is Sift’s first gold in senior tournaments. She had won bronze medals in the ISSF World Cup in 2023 and 2022. Her only gold was in the junior cup in 2022. This was the second medal of the day for Sift and Ashi. Both the shooters together with Manini Kaushik won silver in the team event at the same event earlier in the day with a cumulative score of 1764. China won the gold.