Abhinav tops European Circuit championship

Indian rifle ace Abhinav Bindra clinched the overall European Circuit shooting championship after he won a silver medal in the Baltic Cup in Arhus, Denmark.

The World record holder in Air Rifle 10m prone left behind Olympic gold medallist Rajmond Debrie of Slovenia in a closely contested match on Saturday.

C Sanvoll of Norway bagged the gold with a score of 698.2 (595+103.2) points. Abhinav could score 697.4 (594+ 103.4) while another Norwegian L S Ronald settled for a bronze by scoring 696.5 (594+102.5).

With six golds, three silvers and three trophies to his credit, including the RIAC Cup, Nissan Cup and Den Haag Cup, Bindra has created ripples in the most prestigious shooting competition in Europe apart from the World Championship and World Cups.

Bindra, who set a new World record in Luxembourg with a score of 702.4 in a head-to-head battle with Rajmond, donated his total prize-money to the Gujarat earthquake victims.