Samaresh misses tryst with history, Gagan grabs gold

Melbourne, Mar 24 (UNI) Luck played a cruel joke with Samaresh Jung, deserting him just when he needed it most and the pistol king missed his tryst with history failing to win a gold in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event in the Commonwealth Games here today.

However, another young Indian, Gagan Narang, struck his fourth gold with a new games record in the 50m Rifle three position, while compatriot Abhinav Bindra claimed the silver.

Samaresh, who finished third for a bronze, needed a gold to equal the six individual gold record of swimmers Ian Thorpe and Susie O'Neill and could have gone for a new record tomorrow.

Now the Indian 'Gold finger' can only hope to equal the record on the penultimate day of the Games.

It was a heartbreak not only for 36-year old CISF officer but also for all of his fans who were cocksure of a new record.

Samaresh, with five gold and a silver already in his kitty, began as overwhelming favourite for his sixth straight gold on the ranges of Melbourne club, but destiny had something else in store for him.

The Indian started on a wrong note in his first set of the Precision series where he missed six targets and that made all the difference.

Again in the Rapid, he lost four and five targets in the first and second series and that ultimately proved fatal.

Samaresh totalled 578 at the end of Precision and Rapid events and was tied along with two others -- Ming Shaw On of Singapre and Gregory Yelavich of New Zealand -- for the top spot.

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