India's Gold Hope Dashed by Penalty at Junior Shooting Championship

India's Umesh Choudhary was penalised two points for reporting late to the finals preparation arena at the ISSF Junior Shooting World Championship in Lima, Peru. The penalty cost him a potential gold medal, highlighting the importance of punctuality in competitive sports and raising questions about the role of coaches and support staff.

India lost a potential gold at the ISSF Junior Shooting World Championship in Lima, Peru after a pistol marksman was penalized two points for reporting late to the preparation arena ahead of the 10m finals.

The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) penalized Umesh Choudhary, a 20-year-old marksman, on Saturday for violating Rule 6.17.1.3, which states that a two-point penalty will be deducted if the athlete does not report on time. This incident has brought into focus the role of coaches and support staff in the 60-member contingent.

Choudhary, who finished third in the qualification round with a score of 580, ended up sixth in the medal round due to the penalty. NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia stated he had no information about the incident and refrained from commenting. The penalty rule requires athletes to report to the Finals Range Preparation Area at least 30 minutes before the start time. The last penalty of this kind for an Indian shooter occurred during the ISSF World Cup in Croatia in 2021.

(With inputs from agencies.)