The Indian Double Trap shooter won Gold with a195 hits, after shooting 50 targets straight in the final. Sodhi sets now his next target “I want an Olympic Quota Place!”
“I made it in the Mecca of shotgun shooting!” exclaimed India’s Ronjan Sodhi, who won today’s Double Trap final at the 2010 ISSF Shotgun World Cup held in Lonato, in the heart of the Italian shotgun companies’ district.
“It has been a fantastic final! Hitting fifty targets straight in medal match is always a great accomplishment, but to do it here, shooting shoulder and shoulder with the best athletes of the world, feels simply great!” continued the 30-year old Indian athlete, who won today’s match with a total score of 195 targets, hitting 50 targets straight in the final.
After making it into the match in third place with a qualification score of 145 hits Sodhi played a perfect game. While his opponents started dropping a target after the other, the Indian sharpshooter hit them all, climbing in the lead with a perfect final score of 50 hits out of 50 clays. His final score of 195 targets turned out to be unbeatable for Russia’s Fokeev and Kuwait’s Aldeehani, who were left in second to shoot-off for Silver.
“I feel great. I am ready to go for the World Championship now. We have many important competitions this year, especially the Commonwealth Games in India. But my first goal is to grab a Quota Place at the World Championship in Munich!” said Sodhi, speaking about the 50th ISSF Word Championship in all events that will take place between July and August in Munich. There, the first 2012 Olympic Quota Places will be assigned to the best performers “Of course it would be great to finish on the podium there. But I would be pleased to get a quota, no matter what the final placement will be. I missed the last Games because I did no have a Quota… This time is not going to happen!”
"Ronjan is one of the best Double Trap shooters, in this moment" said the 2004 Double Trap Olympic Champion, Ahmed Almaktoum of the United Arab Emirates, who came here to follow the match, after he stopped shooting in 2008 "He has been improving a lot in the last years. I really think he can make it. My only advice, at this point, is to keep on doing what he is doing!"
The two shooters who had led the qualification rounds, Russia’s Vitaly Fokeev and Kuwait’s Fehaid Aldeehani, lost the chance to grab the Gold medal in the first half of the match. The two athletes, both qualified in the lead with 146 hits, missed three targets throughout the final, dropping down in second place behind Shodi and eventually finishing tied in second with 193 hits.
It was then the 36-year old Russian shooter Fokeev, raked sixth in the world, who won the shoot-off for the Silver medal with 193+8 hits, leaving his opponents Aldeehani the Bronze medal with a total score of 193+7 hits.
One of the favourites, China’s Mo Jiunjie, the winner of the 2009 ISSF World Cup Final and Gold medallist at the second World Cup Stage of the year in Beijing, finished in fourth place with a total score of 191+9 hits, after shooting off Great Britain’s Steven Scott, who closed in fifth with 191+8 hits. Hungary’s Richard Bognar placed in sixth, following them with 189 hits.
Next match: Skeet Women
The ISSF World Cup in Shotgun events in Lonato continues with the Skeet Women Final round, which is scheduled for Monday the 14th. Don’t miss the chance to see the best skeet shooters of the world competing in Lonato! Check the schedule of the next live TV show on www.issf-sports.org!