Chateauroux (France): Indian shotgun shooters Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan have advanced to the skeet mixed team bronze medal playoff at the Paris Olympics after finishing fourth in the qualification round on Monday. This marks a significant moment as the duo attempts to secure India’s maiden medal in the skeet competition and the first in the Mixed Team skeet event at the Olympics.
Naruka and Chauhan shot a combined score of 146/150 in the 15-team qualification round, with Maheshwari impressively achieving a perfect 50/50 in her final two rounds. Naruka contributed with scores of 25, 23, and 24 in the three rounds. Their performance in the initial round placed them joint-second with teams from Australia, France, South Korea, and Italy.
In the second round, Anant and Maheshwari scored 23/25 and 25/25, respectively, bringing their total to 97 and ranking them sixth. Their third-round scores of 25 and 24 propelled them back into the top four, securing their spot in the medal round.
The Indian pair will face China in the bronze medal match at 6:30 PM IST at the Chateauroux shooting range. Italy’s Gabriele Rossetti and Diana Bacosi, who equaled the world qualification record with a score of 149/150, will compete against Vincent Hancock and Austen Jewell Smith of the USA for the gold medal.
So far, India has won three bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, all in shooting events. Manu Bhaker claimed two bronzes in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol Individual round and the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team competition with Sarabjot Singh. Swapnil Kusale secured the third bronze in the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions competition. Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Maheshwari Chauhan will be aiming to add another bronze to India’s tally.
