Top trap shooter Masher Singh battled fever to win his 14th title in the National Shotgun Shooting Championships in Delhi on Monday.
Mansher scored 133 points to tie with Anwar Sultan after the finals. The title was decided in the sudden death tie-shoot, at the Dr Karni Singh Range in Tuglaqabad.
The 41-year-old, who was down with fever for the last six days, shot 111 in qualification to enter the final in fourth position. He surprised everyone by firing 22 in the final, finishing ahead of all the contenders and making up the four-point difference with the leader.
Anwar Sultan led in the qualification with 115 points but he could fire only 18 points in the finals. He had to be content with the silver medal.
Birendeep Singh Sondhi, just one point adrift of Mansher and Anwar, bagged the bronze with a tally of 132 (113+19) while Zorawar Singh was fourth.
Asked if it was a record by him to win the title for 14th time, Mansher said he was still not sure of it and only National Rifle Association of India could confirm it.
"I am not sure if I have eclipsed Dr Karni Singh's record. Only NRAI would be able to confirm it. The nationals began sometime in 1950s," said the shooter, who played his first competition 23 years ago.
When contacted NRAI general secretary Baljit Singh Sethi also could not confirm the record.
"The competition finished only at 5 pm and we will have to check the records to confirm if Mansher has set a record by winning the 14th title," Sethi said.
Mansher said all the shooters were very tired after the Asian Games and he was even sick for last six days.
"I am very satisfied with my performance. The conditions at the range was very good but all the shooters were very tired after the hectic international schedule this year," Mansher said.
"I was bedridden due to viral fever for last six days and it was only yesterday evening that I felt a little better and decided to compete," he said.
Mansher, however, pointed out that the wind was not a problem today but bad light was affecting the shooters.
"It was not really windy at the range but bad light was bit of a problem," he said.
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