Asia Olympic Shotgun qualifiers: Gurjoat, Raiza win bronze in Skeet Mixed Team

NEW DELHI: Raiza Dhillon picked up her third medal of the Asia Olympic Qualification Shotgun in Kuwait, making it one of each colour, after she paired up with Gurjoat Khangura to clinch a bronze in the Skeet Mixed Team competition.

The pair outshot local favourites Abdullah Alrashidi and Eman Al Shama 41-39 in the second bronze medal match.

Raiza had won a silver and a Paris Olympic quota to go along with it on Saturday in the women’s skeet individual event as did Anantjeet Singh Naruka. She had also won the women’s skeet team gold.

Their efforts enabled India to conclude the competition with one gold, three silver and four bronze medals and fourth place in the overall standings.

Medal in the newest Olympic event

The Skeet Mixed Team event will make its debut in the Paris Olympics and India have done quite well in the build-up to it.

The pair of Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Ganemat Sekhon had picked up gold in the Cairo World Cup stage last year and in Kuwait on Sunday, Raiza Dhillon and Gurjoat did well to pick up a fighting bronze.

Raiza and Gurjoat tallied 138 in the 17-pair qualification round out of a possible 150 and just about made the second bronze match-up. There they faced the Kuwaiti legend Alrashidi and his partner Eman.

The Indians began the final well staying in the lead after the first two series, but the Kuwaitis fought back to go ahead. The fifth series is when the Kuwaits faltered badly as Raiza and Gurjoat nailed all four of their targets. Honours were even in the final sixth series enabling them to pull off a two-point victory.