Pakistani shooters Kishmala Talat and Gulfam Joseph gave it their all but fell short of a medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event at the Olympics. They finished 14th in the qualification round, scoring 571-17x. Their series scores were 189, 195, and 187, placing them ahead of teams from Turkiye, Latvia, and France.
Close but Not Enough
The competition was fierce. Turkiye 2 and Serbia shot their way to the top with scores of 582-18x and 581-24x, respectively, setting up a gold medal showdown. The Turkiye team’s score matched the Olympic record set at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by India’s Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker. Bhaker, now 22, made history again by winning India’s first Olympic shooting medal, a bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol, just a day earlier.
More Competitions Ahead
Kishmala and Gulfam also competed in individual events, where they finished 31st and 22nd, respectively. For Gulfam, this Olympics marked his second and final shot at glory. Kishmala, however, has another chance in the Women’s 25m Pistol event on August 2.
Understanding the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team Event
In this event, each team consists of two shooters who stand side by side at the range. They have 10 minutes to fire 30 shots each, with each shot worth up to 10 points, for a possible team total of 600 points. The top four teams from the qualification round move on to the medal matches. The first and second-placed teams compete for gold, while the third and fourth battle it out for bronze.
Despite not making it to the finals, Kishmala and Gulfam’s efforts are commendable, and their journey continues to inspire aspiring athletes back home in Pakistan.