Indian shooter Tejaswini Sawant wins gold and makes history

Sawant had reportedly struggled to pay for her rifle

India's Tejaswini Sawant is celebrating becoming the first Indian sportswoman to win gold at the World Shooting Championship.

Sawant, 29, won with a score of 597/600 in the 50m rifle prone event in Munich on Sunday, equalling the 1998 record set by Marina Bobkova of Russia.

Describing her win as "amazing", the shooter dedicated her medal to her father, who died earlier this year.

Sawant had reportedly struggled to pay for her rifle.

The sportswoman, who comes from Kolhapur, in the western state of Maharashtra, was level with Poland's Ewa Joanna Nowakowska in the final score, but managed to win with a better perfect score tally of 41.

"I was not thinking about a medal or a world record," Sawant was quoted by news agency Press Trust of India as saying. "Having got both, I can't even explain how I am feeling right now. It's just amazing."

Sawant said the win had boosted her confidence for October's Commonwealth Games, which will be hosted by the Indian capital Delhi.