Bashir fires Pakistan to shooting bronze at Asian Games

Ghulam Mustafa Bashir won bronze medal in the men’s 25 metres rapid-fire pistol at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, producing a strong performance in a tense eight-man final.

Bashir finished third with a score of 22, securing Pakistan a place on the podium at the Aichi Prefecture General Shooting Gallery.

This is the first medal from Bashir in his Asian Games career and the second for Pakistan in the continental event history. Kishmala Talat had won bronze in the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.

South Korea’s Lee Gunhyeok claimed the gold medal after scoring 32, edging China’s Su Lianbofan in the shoot-off. Su also finished on 32 but took silver after the tie-break.

Vietnam’s Pham Quang Huy finished fourth with 20 points, while Indonesia’s Suteja Dewa Putu Yadi placed fifth on 18.

South Korea’s Yoon Seoyeong was sixth with 12, followed by India’s Anish on 11 and Kazakhstan’s Nikita Chiryukin on seven.

Bashir had entered the final after finishing sixth in the second stage also on Thursday with 578 points, including 19 inner tens.

He was among the eight shooters who advanced from the qualifying round.

Lee’s victory also saw him equal the Asian record of 32 in the final, while the competition featured several of Asia’s leading rapid-fire pistol shooters. Bashir had finished eighth in the first stage on Wednesday.