ATHENS, Oct 18: India’s trap mixed team pair of Neeru Dhanda and Bhowneesh Mendiratta came up with a below-par show to finish 25th, while compatriots Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Aashima Ahlawat ended up 28th on the concluding day of the ISSF World Championships (Shotgun), here Saturday.
A day after Zoravar won a historic individual trap bronze to become only the second Indian after Manavjit Singh Sandhu (2006 Zagreb, gold) to clinch a medal in the prestigious competition, both the country’s pairs shot identical scores of 137/150 in the qualification round to miss the four-team finals by quite a distance.
India finished joint ninth in the medals tally along with six other nations with a solitary bronze.
The United States topped the table with four gold, one silver and a bronze, while Spain finished second with two gold and a silver. Croatia took the third spot with two gold.
Despite both the Indian pairs shooting down 137 clay targets, the Neeru-Bhowneesh duo finished ahead of their counterparts on countback at the Malakasa Shooting Range.
Bhowneesh had scores of 23, 24, 23 as he aggregated 70/75 after the three qualification rounds of 25 each, while Neeru shot 23, 20, 24 to finish on 67.
Veteran Zoravar, 48, following his bronze-medal achievement shot three successive 23s to aggregate 69/75, while Aashima had scores of 23, 23, 22 for her 68 in a strong field of 54 teams.
Four teams — Italy (145/150), San Marino (144), USA (144) and Egypt (144) — entered the final.
In the gold-medal match, Italy defeated San Marino 45-40, while the bronze was clinched by USA who beat Egypt 39-37. (PTI)
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