India's trap mixed teams fail to impress on last day of ISSF World C'ships

Athens, Oct 18 (PTI) 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 Zahreb, 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 are joint eighth in the medals tally along with six other nations with a solitary bronze. The position can change as the gold-medal match is scheduled later in the day.

The United States are leading the table with four gold, one silver and a bronze, while Spain is second with two gold and a silver. Croatia are in 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 bronze-medal contest, which is between the third and fourth-placed teams, USA beat Egypt 39-37.

The gold-medal match between Italy and San Marino is scheduled later in the day. PTI AM AM AT AT AT