Skeet shooters to take aim first at Lonato Shotgun World Cup

India’s six-member skeet shooting team comprises Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Gurjoat Khangura in the men’s section, while Ganemat Sekhon, Darshna Rathore and Maheshwari Chauhan are in the women’s competition.

File Photo of Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan. | Photo Credit: Kamesh Srinivasan/The Hindu

India’s skeet shooters will start the country’s campaign in the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, beginning July 10.

The pre-event training will be held on Sunday.

India’s six-member skeet shooting team comprises Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Gurjoat Khangura in the men’s section, while Ganemat Sekhon, Darshna Rathore and Maheshwari Chauhan will take aim in the women’s competition.

For the likes of Anantjeet, Gurjoat, Ganemat and Darshna, this will be vital practice before the crucial World Championships in August in Baku, Azerbaijan, where as many as four Paris 2024 Olympics quota places will be available in each event.

These four shooters are also part of the squad of the Hangzhou Asian Games squad to be held from September 23 to October 8.

Six more members will also be taking part in the trap competitions, which begin next Saturday after the conclusion of the skeet events.

While trap has opened its Paris quota account after Bhowneesh Mendiratta finished fourth at the World Championships last year, the Indian skeet shooters are yet to win a quota place and will be looking forward to the Lonato World Cup to iron out any shortcomings and assess themselves against a world-class field.

The skeet squad has already arrived in Lonato and started unofficial training at the Concaverde Shooting Range, the tournament venue.