ISSF Shotgun World Cup
Lonato (Italy), July 11: Asian Championships gold medallist Neeru Dhanda clinched her maiden ISSF World Cup title with a dazzling performance, ending India’s wait for an individual shotgun medal on the global stage this year by winning gold in the women’s trap event at the ISSF World Cup in Lonato on Saturday.
This was the biggest achievement of Neeru’s career since winning the Asian Championships gold last year and the ISSF World Cup mixed team bronze earlier this year, and it came on the back of two days of stupendous shooting.
The 26-year-old, who hails from Haryana’s Jind district but represents Madhya Pradesh in national competitions and is the reigning national champion, was in a league of her own. Picking up where she left off on Friday, she shot 27 out of 30 in the eight-shooter final to outclass a world-class field.
Her closest challenger, France’s Carole Cormenier, a former world champion, settled for silver with 25, while Italy’s Erica Sessa claimed the bronze.
Neeru had carried her sublime form into the final after topping the qualification standings.
Neeru, who will represent India at the Asian Games in Japan later this year, maintained her remarkable consistency in the final, missing just three targets – the second, 13th and 25th shots – to seal a deserved maiden World Cup gold.
India’s men’s trap shooters, meanwhile, endured another disappointing outing, finishing well down the pecking order in their final international competition before the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September-October.
Their disappointing form is bound to be a major concern for the National Rifle Association of India heading into the Asian Games. (PTI)
