BHIM-UPI TOISA: Saurabh Chaudhary & Manu Bhaker win shooter of the year award for 2019

NEW DELHI: Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker have been adjudged shooters of the year at the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2019, powered by BHIM-UPI, held in New Delhi on Thursday. Both Saurabh and Manu bagged the awards for their magnificent performances in the glittering ceremony of the fourth edition of the TOISA.
Manu started off 2019 with a bang as she won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at ISSF World Cup in Delhi in February.In May 2019, Manu qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m pistol event via a fourth place finish at the Munich ISSF World Cup.
In all the four Pistol & Rifle ISSF World Cups in 2019, (New Delhi, Beijing, Munich and Rio de Janeiro), Manu won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Saurabh Chaudhary as her partner, making the pair a strong contender for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In March 2019, Manu and Saurabh smashed the qualification world record before clinching the 10m air pistol mixed team gold in the 12th Asian Airgun Championship in Taoyuan, Taipei.
Manu, who also won gold at the Asian Shooting Championships in Doha, ended the year on a high by claiming gold medals in the individual and team events at the ISSF World Cup Final in Putian, China.
The 17-year-old Saurabh came up with a stunning display of pistol shooting, winning two individual gold medals and four team gold medals in the ISSF World Cups.
The young sensation from Meerut won two silver medals at the Asian Shooting Championships in Doha before ending the year by clinching a silver medal at the ISSF World Cup Final in Putian.
Saurabh has emerged as one of India's finest pistol shooters and is a safe medal bet in most tournaments. He has booked a quota place for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is a big medal prospect in Tokyo.