Shooters Anam, Aarti win gold

New Delhi, december 12

The 59th National Shooting Championship today saw Anam Basit of Madhya Pradesh being crowned champion in the women’s trap competition while Air India’s Aarti Singh Rao claimed the women’s skeet title at the Karni Singh Shooting Range. 

Rio Olympics qualifier Chain Singh not only led a group of five Army markSmen into the final of the showpiece men’s 10M air rifle event, but also ensured that the Army team won the gold in the event. Chain will be challenged in the finals by the likes of Olympics medallist Gagan Narang of Air India and Sanjeev Rajput of Haryana in the absence of former Olympics champion Abhinav Bindra.

It was a coup of sorts for Anam in the women’s trap as she had qualified sixth, shooting a modest 61 to just make it to the six-women final. The final comprised of veteran India international trap shooters such as Seema Tomar and Shagun Chowdhary apart from another India international Shreyasi Singh, but it was Anam who overcame Shreyasi’s challenge in the end. 

Rajeshwari claims bronze

Rajeshwari Kumari of Punjab claimed the bronze. Aarti Singh Rao also took full advantage of the new rules which allow finalists to begin all square and held her nerves to claim the skeet gold after qualifying in the fifth position for the final. — PTI