Ganemat Sekhon reaches ISSF final, finishes fifth
New Delhi [India], November 24 – Indian shooter Ganemat Sekhon achieved a significant milestone in her career by reaching the title round of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final (WCF). Competing in the women’s skeet event at the Lusail Shooting range in Doha, Qatar, Sekhon finished fifth overall.
Sekhon’s remarkable performance saw her equaling her own national record score of 120, marking the third time this year that she has achieved this feat in ISSF competitions. In the qualification round, she secured the second position, closely following American shooter Dania Jo Vizzi. Sekhon unfortunately lost a shoot-off with Vizzi, determining their final qualifying positions, with a score of 5-6.
The gold medal in the women’s skeet event was won by Assem Orynbay from Kazakhstan, while Chiara Di Marziantonio from Italy clinched the silver. Vizzi claimed the bronze medal.
During the start of the final round, three shooters, including Sekhon, Vizzi, and the skeet legend Kimberly Rhode, missed one target each on the first station. Sekhon also missed the lone double on the second station. The only two shooters to hit their first six targets were Chiara and Orynbay. Orynbay successfully maintained her accuracy until the 22nd shot, ultimately ending with a score of 51 out of 60 targets, while Chiara achieved a score of 50 targets.
After 20 shots, China’s Jiang Yiting was the first shooter to be eliminated in the final round. Sekhon and Vizzi had a similar score of 15 hits at that stage but managed to progress based on their higher bib numbers. However, Sekhon couldn’t overcome the second elimination hurdle and was eventually eliminated with a total of 23 hits.
In the men’s trap event, Prithviraj Tondaiman secured the 13th position with a score of 115. His performance consisted of five identical rounds of 23 over two days.
Anish performed well in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol, ranking fourth after the precision round with a score of 292. He will have another chance to compete in the final round, along with his teammates Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Sift Kaur Samra, who will be participating in the men’s and women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, respectively.
Ganemat Sekhon’s impressive journey to the ISSF World Cup Final and her fifth-place finish in the women’s skeet event highlights her immense talent and dedication to the sport. Her achievement serves as an inspiration for aspiring shooters in India and around the world.
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