Esha, Bhavesh reign supreme on Day 1
New Delhi, April 19
Esha Singh topped the women’s 25m pistol qualification while Bhavesh Shekhawat led the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol charts on Day 1 of the Olympics selection trials.
Esha totalled 585 across her precision and rapid-fire rounds in the women’s sport pistol T1 qualification, two points clear of Simranpreet Kaur Brar. Manu Bhaker (582) was a close third while Abhidnya Patil (577) and Rhythm Sangwan (574) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Bhavesh (580) was rewarded for being the most consistent shooter throughout the day. However, Vijayveer Sidhu (579) and Anish (578) as the quota holders in the event will feel satisfied with the day’s work. — PTI
We are behind schedule in training: Rana
New Delhi: Legendary pistol marksman Jaspal Rana has expressed grave concerns over the delay in naming the Indian shooting contingent for the Paris Olympics, saying it will leave the selected shooters with little time for the final phase of preparations. Several countries, including the US and Italy, have announced their squads and their shooters are in the final phase of fine-tuning their skills and programs for the Olympics. In India, the selection process in pistol and rifle categories will end on May 19. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has completed the trials in shotgun events, but are yet to announce the squad. “We are not in the same category of training and preparation as other people are getting around the world. They have already selected their teams and started their training and we are behind schedule,” said Rana.
