Bangalore, August 09: Tejaswini Sawant, who made India proud by winning the 50m rifle prone gold at the World Shooting Championship, returned home to a rousing reception this morning.
Tejaswini became the first Indian woman shooter to win a gold in World Championship. She also equalled the world record, as she shot 99 in her last attempt. Had it been 100, it would be a world record.
After arriving here, the Indian markswoman said the morale-boosting historic triumph sets her up perfectly for the Commonwealth Games this October.
”The preparations has been on for a long time and this has just added to my confidence. I can’t describe how happy I am right now,” Tejaswini told mediapersons.
She also said she could have broken the world record but nerves got the better of her in the last shot.
”When I came to know that I would break the world record if I shoot 100, I became nervous. That affected my performance in the last shot in which I scored 99. But I am very happy to become the first Indian woman to win gold in a World Championship,” she added.
National coach Sunny Thomas was equally elated for his ward.
”She is only the fifth world-record holder in India after Gagan Narang, Suma Shirur, Ronjan Singh Sodhi and Asher Noria. What she did today is truly remarkable,” Thomas said. Tejaswini, who won two gold medals at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, once again showed that she is a force to be reckoned with in the rifle events.
This was Tejaswini’s first medal in the World Championships.
–UNI