Hangzhou Asian Games | Indian shooters return with best ever haul of 22 medals

Indian shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu competes in the 19th Asian Games, in Hangzhou, China.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Indian trap exponents made it a memorable final day of shooting competitions in Hangzhou with the men’s team clinching a gold and Kynan Chenai taking the individual bronze after the women had won the team silver at the Asian Games.

With three medals in trap on the last day of competition, Indian shooters will return home with an amazing haul of 22 medals — seven gold, nine silver and six bronze — their best ever in the continental showpiece.

After the men’s and women’s teams had won their medals, all eyes were on trap stalwarts Kynan and Zoravar Singh in men’s and Manisha Keer in women’s to bring individual glory as they had all entered the six-shooter finals.

Kynan went on to shoot down the bronze after being in contention for silver, aggregating 32 out of 40.

Veteran marksman Zoravar, competing in his third Asian Games spread over 25 years, once again failed in his endeavour to clinch a major individual medal in his entire career, finishing fifth in the finals shooting 23/30.

Kynan though chugged along before he lost his rhythm in the last three series of five shots each, missing five clay pigeons to settle for bronze.

In women’s individual event, Manisha Keer finished sixth and last scoring 16/25 in the finals.

The last day of the shooting competitions saw the men’s team, comprising the Indian triumvirate of Prithviraj Tondaiman, Kynan Chenai and Zoravar Singh Sandhu, win the gold medal in men’s trap shooting.

Just before that, the trio of Manisha Keer, Preeti Rajak and Rajeshwari Kumari claimed the silver medal in the women’s trap team event, adding to the Indian shooting contingent’s best-ever show at the Games.

The Indian men combined to shoot 361 in the qualifications and finish ahead of silver medallists Khaled Almudhaf, Talal Alrashidi and Abdulrahman Alfaihan (359) and host nation China’s Yuhao Guo, Ying Qi and Yuhao Wang (354), who settled for the bronze.

Shooting last, Alrashidi tried his his best and scored 24 points but that was not enough to surpass the Indian total.

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team totalled 337 to take home the silver medal behind China’s Qingnian Li, Cuicui Wu and Xinqiu Zhang, who combined to shoot a world and games record score of 357 to finish on top of the podium.

Kazakhstan’s Mariya Dmitriyenko, Aizhan Dosmagambetova and Anastassiya Prilepina (336) bagged the bronze medal.