The Hindu : Sport / Shooting : Rathore, Manavjit to miss Nationals

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Friday, Dec 15, 2006
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Rathore, Manavjit to miss Nationals

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The remarkable success of the shooters at the Doha Asian Games should give a fresh impetus to the sport in the country. Yet, the news that Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and World champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu will be skipping the National shotgun championships, starting at the Karni Singh ranges in Tuglakabad, on Friday should be a disappointment for the fans.

The long season culminating in the intense competition in Doha has obviously drained the top marksmen. Manavjit has the additional reason of his marriage, coming up in nine days time, keeping his mind away from the `clay pigeons'.

Manavjit had won the silver and Rathore the bronze in their individual events in trap and double trap respectively at the Asian Games.

The crowded schedule, with the Nationals here and in Indore following the Asian Games, was necessitated by the need to give the juniors born in 1986 a chance to compete in their age group for one more year, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) Secretary, Baljeet Singh Sethi, explained on Thursday.

He said the selection for the World Cups, starting in March, would be based on the Nationals as well as performances in international competitions.

In the absence of Rathore, Ronjan Sodhi and Vikram Bhatnagar, who were part of the team in Doha, and Moraad Ali Khan, who keeps staging comebacks, should dominate the double trap event.

With Mansher Singh also indisposed, the favourite for the trap title will be Anwer Sultan. Birendeep Sodhi and Zorawar Singh should be his closest challengers.

Friday will see the qualification and final rounds of double trap while trap and skeet will be held on Sunday and Monday.

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