National Shotgun Championship: Shreyasi Singh strikes a strong note

Former national champion Shreyasi Singh shot the only perfect round in the women’s event, to gain a three-point lead over Shikha Bhaduria in women’s trap in the National shotgun championship at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Wednesday.

Shreyasi Singh acknowledges the applause for her perfect round of 25 in women's trap in the National shotgun championship in Delhi on Wednesday.

Former national champion Shreyasi Singh shot the only perfect round in the women’s event, to gain a three-point lead over Shikha Bhaduria in women’s trap in the National shotgun championship at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, on Wednesday.

On a pleasant day, when a few opted to wear a mask to escape the much publicised pollution, 26-year-old Shreyasi kept her cool to strike a round of 25.

Shreyasi, who won the silver medal in the recent Commonwealth Championship in Brisbane, set the tempo for about 300 shooters, but only former World Champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu and young Aman Al Elahi could return two other perfect rounds for thethis day. That is three perfect rounds out of about 550.

Guided by Mansher Singh, who had competed in four Olympics from 1984 to 2008, and had 47 out of 50 this day in the men’s field, Shreyasi
really asserted herself.

Rajeshwari Kumari, Sukhreet Kaur, Nivetha Nenhirasigamani, Asila Feroze Khilji, Olympian Shagun Chowdhary, Aliana Paul and Sharayu Dalvi followed with 21. The likes of World Cup silver medallist Seema Tomar and Manisha Keer followed a point behind.

The women will have two more rounds on Thursday, followed by the final. The men will have only one round on the morrow, and will have to negotiate three rounds followed by the final on Friday.

Olympian Kynan Chenai followed the leaders with 48 following identical rounds of 24. Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Mansher Singh and Mohd. Saif Sheikh were on 47, followed one point adrift by Yuvraj Mahajan, Vishwa Kundu, and former champions Anwer Sultan and Anirudh Singh.

A regular in the national team in the past, Prithviraj Tondaiman was on 45 along with the double trap specialist Mohd. Asab, among others.

In the junior men’s event, Aman Ali Elahi led with 49, three points ahead of Yuvraj Mahajan and Vishwa Kundu, while Akash Saharan who had gained invaluable experience as a zero shooter in the World Cup Final recently at the same venue, Lakshay Sheoran and Vivaan Kapoor had 44, among others. Former junior champion Manavditya Singh Rathore struggled with a round of 19 after having started well with 23.

Nivetha led among the junior girls along with Asila Feroze Khilji, Sovaiba Bukhari, Sharayu Dalvi with 21, one point ahead of Manisha Keer and Soumya Gupta.

The competition is expected to gather momentum on Thursday.