Darshna Rathore pips Ganemat Sekhon for maiden national women’s skeet title

Rajasthan’s Darshna Rathore upstaged India’s top-ranked women’s skeet shooter Ganemat Sekhon 50-46 to win her maiden women’s skeet title at the New Moti Bagh Gun Club in Patiala on Wednesday.

The women’s skeet competitions marked the first medal events of the national shooting championships 2021 in shotgun events being held at the Patiala venue from November 22-December 14.

Earlier Asian silver medallist Ganemat Sekhon, representing Punjab, topped the 31-strong field in qualification with a score of 117 out 125.

Darshna Rathore, a Khelo India Youth Games champion, shot 113 to qualify in the third spot behind Areeba Khan of Uttar Pradesh who shot 116.

The bronze in women’s skeet was bagged by Raiza Dhillon of Haryana who shot 36 in the final.

Last month, the trio of Ganemat Sekhon, Raiza Dhillon and Areeba Khan won the women’s skeet team gold medal for India at the junior shooting world championships in Lima, Peru.

​​The 64th edition of the shooting nationals are being held concurrently at Patiala, Delhi and Bhopal. While shotgun and pistol nationals are presently on, the rifle nationals are scheduled to begin in Bhopal from November 26.

The finals for the men’s air pistol and the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol will be held over the weekend while the mixed air pistol final is scheduled on Monday. The finals for the women’s air pistol is on December 4 and women’s 25m pistol is on December 6.