Jitu Rai pips Damir Mikec for champions trophy title

Ace pistol shooter Jitu Rai won the International Shooting Sport Federation Champions Trophy.

Jitu beat Serbia’s Damir Mikec, 29.6 to 28.3 in the final, held in the 10m air pistol finals format to claim the euro 5,000 cash award which comes with the title. The ISSF Rifle Champions Trophy was claimed by Russia’s Sergey Kamenskiy.

Champions Trophy matches were held at the end of the World Cup final, competitions for which ended on Sunday at the TSN Shooting Range in Bologna, Italy.

All world final medalists in the men’s and women’s events are eligible to participate in the Champions Trophy and are allowed to choose between a 10m air rifle and 10m air pistol match. Matches are then conducted in elimination format, where after the first four shots, the athlete with the lowest score is first out.

One shooter is subsequently eliminated after each shot thereafter till the final two remain. Their scores are then set back to zero and three single shots determine the winner.