Coach Mansher Singh was understandably pleased with the performance of the trap team, and picked both Kynan Chenai and Prithviraj Tondaiman, as bright prospects for winning the Olympic quota, as he analysed the performance on return from the World Cup in Al Ain.
Olympian Kynan Chenai was exceptionally good, as he shot 123 and 122 in the World Cups in Acapulco and Al Ain, when he missed a berth in the final both times, in shoot-off.
"It was a very strong performance by Kynan, keeping in mind the high level of competition. Considering his consistent performance in both World Cups, he is shaping up well to be a contender not only for the Olympic quota place, but also for the top-10 status in the world rankings this year," said Mansher, as he praised the rise of Kynan.
Mansher also felt that Prithviraj Tondaiman had done very well, especially in the World Cup in Al Ain, even though his score was better in the World Cup in Mexico.
"Prithviraj was in contention right through, till the end of the competition. A last round of 23 saw him miss the final. He had an admirable performance, as he was suffering from an eye infection, which was complicating things for him in hot conditions. He is also in good form for the coming World Cups in Korea and Finland," observed Mansher.
The shotgun shooters have the World Championship in Lonato, Italy, before the last World Cup in Lahti, Finland, but it does not offer any Olympic quota.
Mansher also felt that the return of former World Champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu would strengthen the chances of the Indian trap shooters. Olympian Manavjit fell sick during the Acapulco World Cup and opted out of the World Cup in UAE. He is scheduled to return for the World Cup in Korea.
Manavjit’s replacement, the experienced Zoravar Singh Sandhu did not have the competitive exposure to be able to perform at the highest level.
The coach whose Olympic journey spanned from Los Angeles Games in 1984 to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where he shared room with gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, Mansher said that the shooters had done well to adjust to the different machines that release targets quicker in Al Ain, and also to weather conditions.
Stating that the women shooters needed better consistency, Mansher pointed out that Varsha Varman was grappling with a shoulder injury, and thus had a dramatic dip in score.
The coach was confident that the signs from the first two World Cups were encouraging and indicated: "We have the strength to win the Olympic quota before the Asian Championship, with both Kynan and Prithviraj performing well."
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