Indian Trap Shooters Set to Shine at ISSF World Cup in Tangier
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Tangier, March 30 (NationPress) Indian trap shooters are set to deliver an impressive performance against a formidable lineup as the Trap competition at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup Tangier kicks off tomorrow at the Club Tangerois de Tir in Tangier, Morocco.
The event will commence with 75 targets for both men and women, followed by an additional 50 targets, culminating in the finals on Sunday. Competitions will start at 13:30 IST (9 AM local time), with the women's finals scheduled for 20:30 IST (4 PM local time), and the men's finals at 22:00 IST (5:30 PM local time) on Sunday.
The lineup is highly competitive, featuring reigning Olympic and World champions. India has qualified the maximum number of six athletes in both the men's and women's categories, alongside two additional shooters in each category competing for ranking points.
The women’s event showcases Olympic champion Adriana Ruano, who nabbed Guatemala’s inaugural Olympic gold, and Mar Molné Magriñá, the 24-year-old World Champion from Spain, leading a strong group of 59 competitors. Other prominent shooters include Poland’s World Championship bronze medalist Sandro Bernal, Spain’s finalist Fatima Galvez, Ines de Barros from Portugal, and Tokyo Olympics bronze winner Alessandra Perilli of San Marino.
The Indian squad comprises Olympian Rajeshwari Kumari, National runner-up Kirti Gupta, and Aashima Ahlawat, with Preeti Rajak and Shreshtha Sisodiya participating for valuable ranking points.
In the men’s category, 84 competitors have registered, led by reigning World Champion Josip Glasnovic of Croatia and Paris Champion Nathan Hales from Great Britain. Other notable participants include former World Championship medalist Anton Galsnovic, ISSF World Cup Final gold medalist William Hinton of the USA, and World Championship silver medalist Andres Garcia of Spain.
India is banking on the expertise of Prithviraj Tondaiman, Kynan Chenai, and Bhownesh Mendiratta, while Sharan Susheel Gyanchand and Mohammad Asad Sultan are also in contention for ranking points.
Although the skeet shooters did not reach the finals in earlier rounds, the trap athletes are hopeful to outperform and clinch India’s first medal of the season.