Ashish Ranjan
Shotgun World Cup: India won its first medal in the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup when shooters Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Ganemat Sekhon defeated Mexicans Luis Raul Gallardo Oliveros and Gabriela Rodriguez 6-0 in the skeet mixed team event on April 30 in Egypt.
Young Indian shooter Ganemat Sekhon won his second gold medal in a mixed team event and his fourth senior World Cup medal, while veteran Indian shooter Mairaj won his fifth senior ISSF medal. Notably, both Mairaj and Ganemat had failed to score in their respective individual skeet competitions.
During the 30-team qualifying round, the Indian pair fired a combined 143 out of 150. The Mexicans, their opponents, also concluded with a total score of 143. In the decisive match, Mairaj utilized his experience to achieve four perfect hits while the opposition missed three shots, providing India a crucial 2-0 advantage.
In the second series, Mairaj again hit a flawless four, putting the Mexicans under duress and putting India on top. Luis Raul Gallardo Oliveros and Gabriela Rodriguez each missed three shots as India won 4-0. In the final series, Mairaj and Ganemat missed two and one target, respectively, but their opponents missed a total of four as India eventually secured a historic victory.
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“When I began, I was filled with confidence. From the outset of the day, we knew we would win gold. After the victory, Mairaj stated confidently, “We are preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris.”
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty broke a 58-year drought to become the first Indians since Dinesh Khanna to be crowned champions at the Asia badminton Championships in Dubai. This was India’s second gold medal victory of the day.
