Shapath Bharadwaj survives tense shoot-off to reach trap shooting final at Asian Games

India's Shapath Bharadwaj (PTI Photo)

India’s Shapath Bharadwaj booked his place in the men’s individual trap shooting final after surviving a tense three-way shoot-off at the Asian Games on Tuesday.Shapath finished joint-seventh in qualification with 117 points, forcing him into a shoot-off against Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Rumaihi and Kazakhstan’s Alisher Aisalbayev for the two remaining places in the final.

Asian Games Full Coverage | Schedule | Medal TallyThe Indian held his nerve in the decider, edging Al-Rumaihi to seal his place in the medal round.Kynan Chenai, who won bronze at Hangzhou 2023, finished 16th with 115 points, while Ahvar Rizvi ended 32nd with 107. Both missed out on qualification for the individual final.The result gave Shapath a chance to fight for a medal, although India’s men’s trap team could not make the podium.Shapath, Kynan and Ahvar combined for 339 points to finish sixth in the team event.

India add another shooting medal

Earlier, India’s women’s trap team of Neeru Dhanda, Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer secured silver, taking the country’s shooting medal tally to 13.The Indian trio accumulated 328 points after three days of the 125-shot qualification round to finish second and hold off Kuwait’s challenge.

China won the gold medal with an aggregate of 346, while Kuwait took bronze with 325.Neeru also progressed to the women’s individual final after finishing joint-top in qualification with 118 points.

Aashima and Manisha, however, could not make the final. Aashima scored 106 to finish 16th, while Manisha registered 104 and ended 23rd.India’s 13 shooting medals include just one gold so far. Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh claimed that title in the mixed 10m air pistol event with a stellar performance.Overall, India’s medal tally at the ongoing Asian Games stands at 46, comprising four gold, 21 silver and 21 bronze medals.