India miss men’s trap Paris 2024 Olympics quota despite Lakshay Sheoran winning bronze

Lakshay Sheoran's late fumble costed India an Olympic quota. AFP

India missed out on a Paris 2024 Olympics quota place in shooting on Monday despite Asian Games silver medallist Lakshay Sheoran winning bronze in men’s trap at the Asia Olympic Qualifiers for shotgun. Sheoran finished third despite leading the 50-shot final for most of it. 15-year-old Iranian Mohammad Beyranvand struck gold and the first quota place, getting the better of silver winning Chinese Guo Yuhaoa, the latter missing his second shoot-off shot after both had tied at 40 hits.

Guo also collected the second quota place.

Earlier in the day, Sheoran shot well to return two rounds of 24 each to total 119 after five 25-shot qualification rounds, to claim the fourth spot in the 57-strong field.

The top six go through and the Indian had to finish among the top two as all finalists were eligible for quota places.

He started brilliantly to go into sole lead after 25 shots, nailing 22 of the targets. The eighth series was his undoing as he missed three and both Beyranvand and Guo beat him by one target. Sheoran bowed out with 33 hits.

India also missed yet another quota opportunity in the day when Shreyasi Singh also made the finals of the women’s trap, only to finish fifth with a score of 19 in the finals. She had shot 115 in qualification to make the top six in fourth spot.

Other Indian trap shooters on the day could not go beyond qualification. Zoravar Sandhu was 23rd with a score of 113 while in women’s trap, Manisha Keer was ninth with 108 and Bhavya Tripathi 14th with a score of 105 respectively.

Yogesh fires in Jakarta

In the Asia Olympic Qualifiers for rifle/pistol in Jakarta, Yogesh Singh concluded India’s engagement in the competition with a fourth gold in two days, winning the 25m centre fire pistol men with a score of 573.

This was India’s 15th gold and 33rd medal of the competition, enabling them to finish on top of the leader board.

Compatriots Pankaj Yadav (567), Akshay Jain (564) and Rakesh Kadam (560) were fourth, sixth and eighth respectively. However, Yogesh, Pankaj and Akshay combined to clinch the team gold in the event as well.

With PTI inputs