Zoravar’s bronze in trap highlight for India as Athens Worlds conclude

NEW DELHI: Veteran trap shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu’s brilliant bronze medal on the penultimate day was the highlight as the action concluded in the ISSF World Championship Shotgun 2025 at the Malakasa Shooting Range, Athens, Greece. Zoravar was the only athlete to qualify for a final in the championship, and with this medal, he also booked his spot in the ISSF World Cup Final, which will be held in Doha in December.

On the final day of competitions, the two Indian pairs failed to qualify for the medal matches in the Trap Mixed Team. Asian champion Neeru Dhanda and silver medalist Bhowneesh Mendiratta shot a total of 137 out of 150 shots to finish 25th, while Zoravar and Aashima Ahlawat also shot the same score to finish in 28th place.

In the trap men’s final, the 48-year-old Zoravar, competing with poise and experience, delivered a composed and courageous performance under challenging weather conditions to secure the bronze medal with a final score of 31 after Sandhu qualified with an impressive score of 122 out of 125 in the qualification round. The other Indians in the fray, Bhowneesh Mendiratta, finished in 75th place with 114 hits, while Vivaan Kapoor hit 116 to take the 50th spot.

The Women’s Trap event, Aashima Ahlawat, Neeru Dhanda, and Kirti Gupta were in action. Aashima and Neeru both ended their campaigns with identical scores of 109, to finish in 40th and 43rd positions respectively. Kirti Gupta scored 101 over her five rounds, finishing 62nd.

In the Skeet events, the Indian men’s team, comprising Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka, faced a tough field. Bhavtegh, who was within striking distance of a place in the final after four rounds, managed only 22 in the final round to drop to 35th place. The experienced Mairaj shot 117 and ended 53rd, while Asian Champion Anantjeet managed 115, finishing in 83rd position.

In the Women’s Skeet, Raiza Dhillon produced a strong showing with a total score of 116, finishing 16th overall, just three points shy of the final qualification mark, which stood at 119. Ganemat Sekhon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal both shot 110, with Sekhon finishing 47th and Dhaliwal slightly ahead in 44th position. A total of 15 countries found themselves in the medal tally with India sharing ninth place along with seven other countries. (ANI)