Neeru tops as trap shooters make hay

SHOTGUN shooters from India have been enjoying a period of prosperity in the ongoing Asian Shooting Championships in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Neeru Dhanda was the latest to come to the fore with a gold medal outcome in the women's trap event on Monday.

- ANMOL GURUNG @ Chennai

In the six-woman final that witnessed a brief pause due to power issues at the range, Neeru was in a zen mode as she consistently shot down the clay pigeons to claim the top prize with a tally of 43. Aashima Ahlawat, the other Indian in the final, also impressed to return with a bronze medal. Towards the business end of the 50-shot final, Neeru and Ray Bassil of Qatar were the last women standing. Neeru had a handy lead but the 25-year-old from Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh) never let her guard down. While Bassil fumbled, Neeru ensured that she capitalised on her rival's miss to extend her lead. Eventually, she finished with a perfect series of five out of five hits.

Soon after the 50th shot, Neeru offered a beaming smile and hugged her Qatari opponent. Moreover, Neeru, Aashima and Preeti Rajak, who finished 10th, walked away with a gold medal in the team event.