Shotgun World Cup: Neeru Dhanda dazzles, men's trap shooters raise Asian Games concerns

Lonato: India's Neeru Dhanda produced a sensational start to the women's trap competition, firing a perfect score to take sole possession of the lead after the first three qualification rounds at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup here.

The 26-year-old reigning Asian and national champion, who will represent India at this year's Asian Games in Japan, was flawless throughout the day on Friday, compiling three straight perfect rounds of 25 for a maximum 75/75. Her brilliant effort put her atop the 106-shooter field with a two-target advantage over experienced American Rachel Tozier, who ended the day on 73/75.

Tokyo Olympics gold medallist and one of the sport's most accomplished trap shooters, Slovakia's Zuzana Rehak Stefecekova, was tied for second with Tozier on 73. The 42-year-old owns three Olympic medals dating back to the 2008 Beijing Games and is also a two-time world champion.


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The remarkable performance by Neeru comes on the back of the mixed trap team bronze medal she won at the ISSF World Cup in Almaty in May.

However, India's other two women shooters, Manisha Keer and Aashima Ahlawat, were well off the pace, managing scores of 69 and 61 respectively.

Manisha was tied for 17th place with several others, while Aashima was joint 84th, leaving both with only a remote chance of making the eight-shooter final.

The remaining two qualification rounds of 25 targets each will be held on Saturday, following which the top eight shooters will advance to the final.

India's men's trap shooters, meanwhile, endured a disappointing opening day and are virtually out of medal contention after underwhelming performances.

Ahvar Rizvi, who is also part of India's Asian Games squad, shot 70 out of 75 to be tied for 59th place alongside nearly two dozen shooters.

Shapath Bharadwaj shot 68 to be tied for 103rd with more than a dozen shooters, while the experienced Kynan Chenai, another member of the Asian Games contingent for Aichi-Nagoya Games from September 19 to October 4, managed 67 to be tied for 117th with 19 others in the 208-shooter field.

Although another World Cup is scheduled in Hangzhou, China, later this month, this marks the final World Cup outing for India's three Asian Games-bound men's trap shooters before the continental showpiece. Their disappointing form is bound to be a major concern for the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) heading into the Asian Games.

With India yet to win an individual medal in the shotgun World Cup circuit this year, having drawn blanks in Tangier (Morocco), and Almaty (Kazakhstan), in March and May respectively, the men's performance here offered little encouragement. The struggles are in sharp contrast to India's success in the rifle and pistol World Cups, where the team returned with a rich medal haul.