ISSF World Cup Shotgun Almaty 2023: Ganemat Sekhon and Darshna Rathore script history

In women's skeet at the senior ISSF World Cup, India took home two individual medals for the first time, with Ganemat Sekhon and Darshna Rathore winning medals for the country.

Ganemat Sekhon at the National Games 2022 (Image Credits - Instagram/ @ganemat_sekhon_)
By Pushkar Pandey | May 24, 2023 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

In the women’s skeet competition at the ISSF World Cup Shotgun Almaty 2023 on Tuesday, Indian shooters Ganemat Sekhon and Darshna Rathore won silver and bronze medals, respectively. In women’s skeet at the senior ISSF World Cup, India took home two individual medals for the first time. Ganemat Sekhon was on track to take home the gold but settled for silver with 50/60 points after missing five of her final ten shots. Assem Orynbay, the Tokyo Olympian and silver medalist at the Asian Championships from Kazakhstan, also shot 50/60 but ultimately won the gold after triumphing in the shoot-off 2-1.

Darshna Rathore won her first medal from the ISSF World Cup which was the bronze medal. She failed to advance to the gold medal round after shooting 39/50. Sumova Barbora of the Czech Republic (29/40), Greek teenager Katzouraki Emmanouela (20/30), and Cypriot Nikolaou Konstantia (12/20) finished the six-shooter final in that order. Maheshwari Chauhan, the third female skeet shooter from India competing in the individual competition, finished 26th out of 35 shooters and was eliminated. She scored 108 points. With 121 points, Assem Orynbay won the qualifying round ahead of Darshna Rathore, who scored 120. With a score of 117, Ganemat Sekhon finished fourth in the qualification.

Other Indian shooters

None of the three Indians, including Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan, could advance to the men’s skeet final. Gurjoat Khangura shot 119 and finished in 19th place, while Mairaj Ahmad Khan shot the same score and finished in 17th. Anantjeet Singh Naruka placed 23rd with a score of 118. The shotgun shooters’ ISSF World Cup is currently in its semifinal round in Almaty. Before the ISSF World Championships begin in November in Doha, the final stage will be held in Lonato, Italy. Later in the competition, Indian trap shooters will compete.

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Know more about Rising star Ganemat Sekhon

Ganemat Sekhon was born on 29 November 2000. From Chandigarh, she competes in sport shooting in India. She is an expert in skeet. In March 2021 at the ISSF Shooting World Cup, she helped India win a medal in the women’s skeet competition. Upon her father, Amrinder Singh’s advice, Sekhon started shooting in 2015 when she was 15 years old. In 2016, she competed in her first international competition at the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, finishing in 33rd place.

When she won the bronze medal at the Junior ISSF World Championship in Sydney, Australia in 2018, she made history by becoming the first female skeet shooter from India to do so. She took home a silver medal from the 2019 Asian Championships. For the first time in an event for women, Sekhon won bronze in the 2021 ISSF Shooting World Cup Women’s Skeet in New Delhi.

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