Almaty (Kazakhstan), May 27 (PTI) Paris Olympics quota winner Bhowneesh Mendiratta found the going tough in the trap finals, finishing fifth in the ISSF World Cup for Shotgun here on Saturday.
The 23-year-old from Faridabad, who was in joint lead with four others after the first three rounds of qualification with a score of 73 out of 75 on Friday, came up with identical scores of 24 each in the remaining two rounds of qualification on Saturday.
Bhowneesh aggregated 121 out of 125 over the two days of qualification, which saw him make the six-shooter finals at joint fourth position.
However in the finals, the Indian shooter erred and became the second marksman to get eliminated, shooting down 24 clay pigeons out of 30.
Bhowneesh, however, did well to outlast two-time world and Tokyo 2020 mixed team trap champion Alberto Fernandez of Spain in the final. Fernandez finished sixth with a score of 21/25.
Italian stalwart Massimo Fabbrizi, the two-time world champion and London Olympics silver medallist, won gold, finishing with 46 hits in the 50-shot final. Australia’s 27-year-old James Willet, the trap mixed team world champion, won silver with a score of 43/50, while yet another former world champion, Khalid Almudhaf of Kuwait, bagged bronze.
Bhowneesh was placed fourth after the first 10 targets in the finals. He then had 21 out of the first 25, at which stage Fernandez bowed out. The legend had the same score as the Indian, but on account of being the sixth to qualify, could not progress further. Bhowneesh then missed the 28th and 29th targets to depart after 30 targets.
The other two Indians in the 69-strong field, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Prithviraj Tondaimal, finished 16th and 17th respectively with identical scores of 117 and could not make it to the finals.
In women’s trap, Shreyasi Singh finished 10th with a score of 114, while Manisha Keer was 19th with 109. Preeti Rajak was 32nd with 98 to her name.
India have so far won a silver and a bronze, both in women’s skeet, in the World Cup. With the trap mixed event coming up, the contingent will hope to increase its medals tally over the next two days.
Coach Russell Mark quits =============== Olympic champion and India’s foreign trap coach, Russell Mark, who is with the contingent here, has resigned, reportedly over contractual issues.
A source close to the renowned former Australian marksman, who won the double trap gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, said that Mark had told him that May 28 would be his last day with the India team.
The source, quoting Mark, said, “Last day tomorrow (May 28). We have resigned. We are moving on. Sad way to end.” Mark and his American wife Lauryn, who was the Indian skeet coach, had been offered contract till the 2024 Paris Olympics in May last year. But, it is learnt, that it was subject to annual assessment.
Source: PTI News
