Manavjit Sandhu wins trap gold in shooting nationals

Former World and six-time Asian champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu on Saturday defended his national Men's Trap Shooting title at the ongoing 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions here at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range.

The Arjuna awardee won the title by overcoming the challenge of Uttar Pradesg's Anwer Sultan 45-43.

Manavjit, representing Punjab, had earlier shot 117 out of 125 to qualify for the finals in second position, the same score which got him to the finals last time in Jaipur.

Indian international, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, who had topped qualification on the same score as Manavjit, shot 33 in the final to bag the bronze medal.

Anwer had shot 116 in qualification to be the fourth final qualifier out of six.

In the junior men's trap, Haryana's Lakshay Sheoran bagged top honours beating Rajasthan's Vivaan Kapoor 41-39 in the final.

Maharashtra's Ashutosh Sardar Murkute won bronze with a final round score of 31. Lakshay was fifth to qualify for the finals with a score of 113 in qualifications, which was topped by Rajasthan's Aman Ali Elahi with a score of 116.

Aman, who has had a great 61st Nationals qualifying for both the senior and junior men's trap final, was not denied gold as he eventually teamed up with Vivaan and Manavaditya Singh Rathore to bag the junior men's team trap gold with a combined score of 336.

Haryana with 326 and Madhya Pradesh with 318 won silver and bronze respectively.

In the senior team men's trap, Manavjit and Zoravar exchanged medal colours with Zoravar bagging gold for Air India along with teammates Birendeep Sodhi and S.M.Faisal.

Their combined total of 329 was one better than Haryana's 328 while Manavjit's Punjab also finished with 328 but won bronze in the final classification.