Shooters gunning for glory and gold at Doha

Doha, Dec 1 (UNI) World Champion Manavjit Sandhu, Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, former World number one Gagan Narang, Commonwealth Champion Samaresh Jung and Olympian Anjali Bhagwat lead the star studded 33-member Indian shooting team's challenge in the Asian Games starting here tomorrow.

Though India has won only two gold medals in shooting in the Asian Games history so far but the shooters are hoping to bring back a rich haul of medals for the country from this tiny Arab nation.

In the last Asian Games at Busan, India had won only two silver medals -- in trap team and Women's 10m air rifle events -- but the situation has changed dramatically since then.

The Indian shooters' tremendous showing at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games earlier this year and their subsequent performances in the World Championship in Zagreb has raised the hopes of the country breaking the jinx of not winning an Asiad Gold since Hiroshima 1994 where Jaspsal Rana had bagged a centre fire pistol Gold.

Given the strength and form of the shooting squad, the country can hope of at least a couple of gold in this Asiad. On show tomorrow will be Manvjit Sandhu and Mansher Singh (Trap) Gagan Narang (air rifle) and Avneet Kaur Sandhu (women air rifle).

Coach Sunny Thomas was very cautious and modest in his assessment of the team.

''The field here is very tough, much tougher than what we had in Melbourne,'' he pointed out.

He, however, was of the view that the team would win at least five medals in this edition.

''This year the shooters have performed well on the international stage and I feel we should at least win five medals here,'' he said.

The coach did not specifically mention any shooter he was banking on for a medal or in which category he was expecting the medals from.

''We have a better prepared team. During the practice sessions, the shooters shot scores that are good enough to bag medals in any international event,'' he said.

After the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March -- where India bagged 16 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals -- the shooters have done considerably well in international meets.

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