New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS): A silver medallist at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, India's Lakshay Sheoran won bronze in men’s trap but missed, by the proverbial whisker, one of the two quota places available for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the Asia Shotgun qualifiers at Kuwait City. Despite leading the 50-shot final for most of the time, Lakshya had to settle for third place.
The 15-year-old Iranian Mohammad Beyranvand struck gold and claimed the first quota place, getting the better of silver-winning Chinese Guo Yuhaoa, the latter missing his second shoot-off shot after both had tied at 40-hits. Guo also collected the second quota place.
Earlier in the day, Lakshay shot well to return two rounds of 24 each to total 119 after five 25-shot qualification rounds, to claim the fourth spot in the 57-strong field. The top six went through to the final and the Indian had to finish among the top two as all finalists were eligible for quota places, although the two Chinese finalists could claim only one of the two quotas.
The Indian shooter started brilliantly to go into sole lead after 25 shots, nailing 22 of the targets. The eighth series was his undoing as Lakshya missed three and both Beyranvand and Guo piped him by one target and the quota places. The Indian bowed out in third with 33 hits.
India also missed yet another quota opportunity on the day when Shreyasi Singh also made the finals of the women’s trap, only to finish fifth with a score of 19 in the finals. She had shot 115 in qualification to make the top six in fourth spot.
Other Indian trap shooters on the day could not go beyond qualification. Zoravar Sandhu was 23rd with a score of 113 while in women’s trap, Manisha Keer was ninth with 108 and Bhavya Tripathi 14th with a score of 105 respectively.
Yogesh wins four gold in Jakarta
In Jakarta, where the Rifle/Pistol Asian qualifiers are taking place, Yogesh Singh concluded India’s engagement in the competition, with a fourth gold in two days, winning the 25m centre fire pistol men with a score of 573. This was India’s 15th gold and 33rd medal of the competition, enabling them to finish on top of the leaderboard.
Compatriots Pankaj Yadav ((567), Akshay Jain (564) and Rakesh Kadam (560) were fourth, sixth and eighth respectively. However, Yogesh, Pankaj and Akshay combined to clinch the team gold in the event as well.