Indian shooters eye medals, WC Final berths

It may be by driven by a strong desire to keep excelling on the big stage, but India's 30- member shotgun shooting team will face one of its biggest tests in the ISSF World Championships, starting here today.

The International Shooting Sport Federation tournament in the Russian capital will be an opportunity for shotgun shooters from across the world to qualify for the prestigious World Cup Finals, slated to be held in New Delhi in October.

The medal winners in each of the five disciplines will secure their places in the World Cup Finals.

As far as Indian shotgun shooting is concerned, only Ankur Mittal has managed to qualify for the New Delhi tournament, riding on his silver and gold medals in the season's first two World Cups in the Indian capital and Acapulco, Mexico.

The teams for trap and double trap have been boosted by the return of longtime coach Marcello Dradi, who joined the team here on Tuesday after being stuck in Italy owing to visa issues.

Mittal, a double trap specialist, will be gunning for another podium finish, having won a gold medal at the Asian Shotgun Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, earlier this month.

He will be shooting in the double trap event alongside

Sangram Dahiya and Moham-

mad Asab.