MANU IN FOCUS AS SHOOTERS EYE GLORY

Brisbane, April 7: Teen sensation Manu Bhaker is in focus as India’s shooting team eye a strong start at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Sunday.

The 16- year- old will line up alongside the experienced Heena Sidhu in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Belmont Shooting Range.

Manu won two gold in her maiden senior ISSF World Cup in Mexico last month.

The Haryana girl then grabbed two more in the junior World Cup in Sydney and is expected to give a good account of herself at the Games.

Also in action on the first day of shooting competition will be Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar in the men’s 10m air rifle.

Saniya Sheikh and Maheshwari Chauhan see action in the women’s skeet, the finals of which will also be held on Sunday itself after the qualification stage.

Smit Singh and Sheeraj Sheikh will compete in men’s skeet qualification on Sunday.

With shooters like Chain Singh, Jitu Rai, Omprakash Mitharwal, Anjum Moudgil, Tejaswini Sawant, Heena and Shreyasi Singh competing in more than one event, it helped the selectors pick a strong 27- member squad after CWG organisers reduced the quota of participants by three.

A total of nine men’s and eight women’s events will be held in rifle, pistol and shotgun categories.

Veteran Gagan Narang is also in the team and is expected to share his wealth of experience with team mates.