Shooting WC: Lakshay, Neeru fall short as India's campaign ends

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) India ended engagements at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Shotgun in Lonato, after the pair of Lakshay Sheoran (22,19,25) and Neeru Dhanda (25,24,25), despite shooting a perfect third series, fell short of the Trap Mixed Team medal rounds. They totalled 140 out of a possible 150 in the qualifying round to finish 10th among 54 pairs.

The second Indian pair of Zoravar Singh Sandhu (21,23,24) and Preeti Rajak (23,24,23) combined for a tally of 138 to finish in 22nd spot.

Four teams, Australia, Great Britain and both the Spanish teams topped the qualifications with identical tallies of 143.

Indian pair of Kynan Chenai and Sabeera Haris had won a bronze in the Trap Mixed Team event at the previous Nicosia Shotgun World Cup. The event will be held for the first time in the Olympics at Los Angeles in 2028.

On Saturday, National Games champion Neeru Dhanda reached a first-ever World Cup final to finish a creditable fourth in women’s trap, on the penultimate day.

Having taken the sixth and final qualifying spot by virtue of winning (2-1) a shoot-off over last year’s New Delhi World Cup Final winner Alessia Iezzi (Italy), Neeru eventually went out due to a higher bib number. Australia’s Laetisha Scanlan won gold with 45 hits.

While Neeru continued from her brilliant fourth-place finish in the women’s trap a day earlier to miss just one target out of her 75, Lakshay had a blip in the second series, where he missed six, which eventually cost a shot at a podium finish.

--IANS

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