Faridabad's Bhowneesh Mendiratta, a quota winner for the Paris Olympics, showed his mettle on the opening day of the trap competition at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup. Despite missing two targets out of 75, the 23-year-old shooter moved into a joint lead with four other competitors, including double world champion and 2020 Tokyo Olympics mixed team trap champion Alberto Fernandez of Spain.
Mendiratta's performance was impressive, with perfect scores of 25 in his first and third rounds. He only missed the 28th and 43rd targets, showcasing consistency and solid shooting throughout the day. The 69-strong field will resume competition with two more rounds of qualification on Saturday, followed by the final featuring the top six shooters.
Among Mendiratta's senior teammates, Zoravar Sandhu and Prithviraj Tondaiman secured the 16th and 23rd positions, respectively, after scoring 71 and 70 points. Both shooters will need flawless rounds on Saturday to have a chance at qualifying for the final.
In the women's trap event, Shreyasi Singh emerged as the highest-placed Indian, currently in eighth position with a score of 70. Leading the field was Rio Olympics champion Catherine Skinner of Australia, who shot an impressive 73. Manisha Keer of India was in 22nd place with a score of 65, while Preeti Rajak stood at 28th with a score of 61.
With one silver and one bronze medal, both in women's skeet, India currently holds the fourth position on the overall medals tally. The performance of Mendiratta and his compatriots in the trap competition presents a promising opportunity to add more medals to India's tally at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup.
(With inputs from PTI)
