Rajeshwari leads India to Asian trap gold
I am a sort of late bloomer as I participated in my first nationals as a 20-year-old. I only broke into the team last year at the Gabala World Cup. So, I am very happy that today I shot my first final and got the medal...
NEW DELHI: India’s Rajeshwari Kumari, Seema Tomar and Shreyasi Singh won the team gold in women’s trap at the Asian Shotgun Championships on Thursday.
The trio’s combined score of 206 was three points better than Kuwait, which participated as an independent entry due to the ban of its national Olympic body by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over government interference. Qatar won bronze with a total score of 200.
Seema also won the individual silver, after equalling the Asian record of 74/75 in the qualification round on Thursday, in the competition held at the Al Forsan international sports resort in Abu Dhabi.
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
In the individual competition, Seema shot 10 out of the 15 targets, finishing behind Sarah Alhawal (12/15) of Kuwait, whose team took part as Individual Shooting Person due to the ban.
Rajeshwari finished fourth, missing out on a bronze after shooting an identical 10, which was two targets adrift of Libya’s Ray Bassil.
“I am happy for the team and for the individual medal. But I am most happy that I could equal the Asian record today,” Seema said over phone from Abu Dhabi.
For Rajeshwari, Ria to her RAJESHWARI KUMARI
friends and family, it was special as the team win was her first medal in a brief international career.
“I am a sort of late bloomer as I participated in my first nationals as a 20-year-old. I only broke into the team last year at the Gabala World Cup. So, I am very happy that today I shot my first final and got the medal,” said Rajeshwari, who is former Asian Games gold medallist and veteran sports administrator Randhir Singh’s daughter and a fourth generation shooter from the Patiala royal family.
Rajeshwari confessed to nerves before the semifinal. “I can pretend to be brave now but to be honest my nerves were all over the place,” she said.
Shreyasi was relieved after the qualifications. “I dropped my first three targets so I was happy I didn’t let the team down. I needed to end better and I finished with 24 in the last round to pull through,” she said.