If it was a weapon malfunction that cost him a bronze in Standard Pistol shoot-out, he missed out on the gold in the Centre-Fire Pistol, as the `front sight' -- the viewfinder which helps shooters focus on the target -- came off the hinge in the sudden-death shoot-out.

In the end India finished with two silver, one each from Jaspal and the Trap trio, and one bronze from the Centre-Fire threesome. Even as Mansher Singh and Manavjit Singh failed, young Zorawar Singh emerged from the shadows to make the final but ended sixth. His effort nevertheless helped India get a team silver.

The Centre-pistol team bronze came from Jaspal, Ved Pilaniya and Ashok Pandit, competing in his fifth Asian Games, a feat match only by PT Usha.

The normally cool and unflappable Jaspal, who takes defeatin his stride was virtually in tears as he came off the range. Rana returned scores of 99 in each of the last three rounds to notch up 589 which shattered his own gold medal winning record of 588 at Hiroshima four years ago.

After tying with Park Byung-Taek of Korea and Kazhak Vladimir Vokhmyananin, the three went for a shootout in which Jaspal and Park again shot 149. The Kazakh had to settle for a bronze with 146. In the sudden death, Park found the bulls eye four times for a total of 49. Jaspal shot three nines and then had two sevens. A stunned Rana turned towards his coaches Sunny Thomas and Tibor and the other Indians urging him on, with the pistol hanging down from his limp right hand, and began to weep inconsolably.

His colleagues watching him realised something was wrong and Vivek Singh, his former collegemate commented, "The front sight has come off. He probably shot without even getting a good look at the target."

Jaspal confirmed the suspicion and showed his pistol with the viewfinderunhinged when he came off the range.

For months now, Jaspal has been upset at not being able to import the right kind of weapons. He has said that he is shooting with old weapons, which he has had for years. The outspoken youngster has been saying he wants to import weapons. "I know the law lays down stipulations about weapons, but I only want them for sport," he has lamented in the past.

Ved Pilaniya (580) and Ashok Pandit (578) were 11th and 14th, but India managed a bronze with a score of 1,747. The gold and silver went at 1,749, just two points more.

Mansher Singh and Manavjit Singh, the Commonwealth pairs champions failed to do well. Young 19-year-old Zorawar Singh, making his first appearance, salvaged pride for India. Zorawar, who the Italian coach Marcello Dradi feels has a great future, was third, but with his preliminary score of 112, he finished with 133 in the sixth place, while the bronze went in 135 to North Koreans Park Won-Guk. Kuwait's al-Deehani brothers, Fehaid and Fahad grabbed thegold with 346 while India got the silver with 329 -- Zorawar 112, Mansher 109 and Manavjit 108.