Commonwealth Games 2018: Pistol Shooter Jitu Rai Top Medal Contender For India

Pistol shooter Jitu Rai will enter as one of the major prospects in the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Gold Coast, Australia. After an impressive 2017 where he won three medals, Jitu will be eager to carry on the momentum in his second Commonwealth Games. The 30-year-old shooter won gold in 50m pistol event in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after scoring 194.1 points in the final. After the CWG success, Jitu dominated the Incheon Asian Games too in 2014. He won gold in 50m pistol and then bagged a bronze in the 10m air pistol team event.

Jitu will kick off his Gold Coast campaign on the back of his recent spectacular performances in the 2017 Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi.

In the Commonwealth Championships, Jitu won bronze medals in 10m air pistol and 50m pistol events. He also won a gold medal in 10m air pistol mixed team event with Heena Sidhu in Delhi last year.

Jitu, who is employed with Indian Army, has five ISSF World Cup medals to his name.

Apart from the mixed team gold medal in 2017, Jitu won bronze medal in 10m air pistol at 2015 ISSF World Cup in Changwon, one gold and one silver in the 10m air pistol at 2014 ISSF World Cup in Munich. He also won a silver medal in 50m pistol at 2014 ISSF World Cup in Maribor.

India will be expecting Jitu to repeat the Glasgow success in the 2018 CWG.