Dreadful 7 hurts Bindra

A couple of 100s and two 99s meant Abhinav Bindra seemed on course,before the 42nd shot of the 5th series ruined it for him as the score showed a dreadful 7 the sort of miscue he doesn8217;t remember shooting last,even blindfold and his precision suffered thereafter. After being tied with 4 others on 593,Bindra seemed a man resigned to his fate,as he gave up on 50.6 the last of the five men trying to sneak into the Finals.

There was a provision to contest the score that flashed sorely on the screen,but Bindra,unsure of what had misfired his weapon or the mechanized scoring machine 8211; chose not to raise a petition,though he reckoned he8217;d shot an outer-9. I didnt want to appeal because,had I contested it and it was rejected,wed have been docked points instead,and I didnt know our position in the team medal competition, he said. Appeals rarely get granted and have to be made as soon as the score is flashed,and the chances of it being turned down,especially when Bindra was in doubt of what had happened,meant the Indian didn8217;t take up the matter. Its ok,it can happen, he said wryly later.