Indians ranked among world's top 10 shooters

Soon after the Beijing Olympics, where India won its first ever individual gold, India has been recognised as a world power in shooting. In the latest released rankings by the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF), three Indians including Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra are listed among the top 10.

India's ace shooter Bindra who created history by winning the first ever Olympic Gold Medal for the country, and the first gold in 28 years, is now ranked world No 2.

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Earlier, he had booked his 2008 Olympic appearance by winning the gold medal at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships.

World Cup Final gold medalist Gagan Narang moved up three places to the sixth in men’s 10-metre air rifle event, while Ronjan Singh Sodhi retained his 10th spot. Sodhi was world No.1 in June this year, after he won the gold in Belgrade World Cup.

"I am satisfied to move up few places in the latest world rankings and will try and do the same in the other two events (50-metre three position and prone) as well," said Narang.

"I will now target to break into the top-3 bracket through the World Cups in 2009. I am going to take the 10m air rifle event a little easy now and work harder on the 50m three position and prone events for a year," he said.

Earlier in a talk to IANS, Bindra had said that India was now a world power in shooting by winnings medals from almost all big events. "Just look in the air-rifle section. We have the Junior and Senior World Champion from India, Olympic Champion and also world record holder from India. We have won medals at Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Cups," he pointed out.

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