`Hard work paid off`, says Heena Sidhu after clinching gold at ISSF WC

Mumbai [India], June 15 (ANI): Indian shooter Heena Sidhu, who recently clinched her second World Cup mixed doubles' gold medal with fellow shooter Jitu Rai in Gabala, on Thursday said that the pair would bank on the experience they have gained from these two victories and try to put up a much better performance in the major events next year. "Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships will be held next year. So, we have few months to prepare for the same. We will try to work on the experience we have gained from our recent two matches and come up with even better performance next year," Sidhu said in an exclusive conversation with ANI. Heena and Jitu made the country proud at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rife/Pistol stage at Gabala, Azerbaijan, when they clinched gold in the 10m mixed team air pistol event by beating Russia 7-6 in the finals on Monday. It was the pair's second World Cup gold together, having won the event in the New Delhi stage earlier this year. Reflecting on her win, Sidhu said she was ecstatic to see her hard work finally paying off, while admitting that her performance in Gabala was far more better than the one in the national capital. "This was our second medal. We had won the first medal in Delhi. Even in Delhi we got the gold medal. I think our hard work and training has paid off and that's why we have come up with such a performance. This time our performance was even better than that of Delhi one. Because our scores were very high as compared to the last match," she said. Heena and Jitu, however, had narrowly missed making it to the final of the individual Men's and Women's 10m Air Pistol event when they finished 12th and 9th in their respective qualification rounds. Only the top eight make it through to the final. "I think it is very important and good that we are making progress in other events as well. So, we are feeling good. We were out of the country from last one and a half month and at the sidelines were also playing individual matches as well. We had clinched gold medals in two matches, so it also helps in boosting our confidence," the 27-year-old added. Although the Mixed Team events are not being considered for the medal tally at the World Cup stage this year, they have been approved as Medal events for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in a recent official communique. (ANI)