India's trap mixed teams fail to impress on last day of ISSF World C'ships

India's trap mixed team pair of Neeru Dhanda and Bhowneesh Mendiratta came up with a below-par show to finish 25th, while compatriots Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Aashima Ahlawat ended up 28th on the concluding day of the ISSF World Championships (Shotgun), here Saturday.

A day after Zoravar won a historic individual trap bronze to become only the second Indian after Manavjit Singh Sandhu (2006 Zahreb, gold) to clinch a medal in the prestigious competition, both the country's pairs shot identical scores of 137/150 in the qualification round to miss the four-team finals by quite a distance.

India are joint eighth in the medals tally along with six other nations with a solitary bronze. The position can change as the gold-medal match is scheduled later in the day.

The United States are leading the table with four gold, one silver and a bronze, while Spain is second with two gold and a silver. Croatia are in third spot with two gold.

Despite both the Indian pairs shooting down 137 clay targets, the Neeru-Bhowneesh duo finished ahead of their counterparts on countback at the Malakasa Shooting Range.

Bhowneesh had scores of 23, 24, 23 as he aggregated 70/75 after the three qualification rounds of 25 each, while Neeru shot 23, 20, 24 to finish on 67.

Veteran Zoravar, 48, following his bronze-medal achievement shot three successive 23s to aggregate 69/75, while Aashima had scores of 23, 23, 22 for her 68 in a strong field of 54 teams.

Four teams -- Italy (145/150), San Marino (144), USA (144) and Egypt (144) -- entered the final. In the bronze-medal contest, which is between the third and fourth-placed teams, USA beat Egypt 39-37.

The gold-medal match between Italy and San Marino is scheduled later in the day.