asian shooting c’ships

Shymkent: National Games champion Neeru Dhanda experienced one of her finest days in the sport en route winning the women’s trap gold medal while compatriot Aashima Ahlawat claimed bronze at the Asian Shooting Championship here on Monday.

Neeru shot a 43 in the final to claim the top prize ahead of Qatar’s Bassil Ray (37) and Aashima (29). Earlier in the day, Manu Bhaker finished fourth in the women’s 25m pistol competition before the Indian shooters swept the junior event at the continental tournament.

Neeru, Aashima and Preeti Rajak also won the team gold in women’s trap with 319 ahead of China and Kuwait.

Neeru and Aashima entered the six-women final in fifth and sixth position respectively after being involved in a shoot-off.

Neeru, who reached her first-ever ISSF World Cup final and finished a remarkable fourth at the Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy in July, is a cousin of Indian trap shooter Lakshay Sheoran and picked up the sport after watching him in action.

In the men’s trap final, Bhowneesh shot a 45 to grab silver with Chinese shooters Ying Qi (47) and Pengyu Chen (35) winning the gold and bronze respectively. Bhowneesh was placed fourth in the qualifications, while Kynan Chenai was 15th. Lakshay was way down in 41st position.

India’s shooters, however, thoroughly dominated the 25m pistol women junior final, with Payal Khatri claiming the gold with a total of 36, Naamya Kapoor (30) winning silver and Tejaswani (27) bagging bronze.

They also won the team silver after aggregating 1,700, finishing behind South Korea and ahead of host nation Kazakhstan. Naamya and Tejaswini were one and two in

the qualifications.