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Manavjit, Imran book London tickets
Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Imran Hasan Khan booked their London Olympic Games tickets in trap shooting and 50m rifle three-position events, respectively, on the concluding day of the Asian Championships in Doha on Saturday.
Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Imran Hasan Khan booked their London Olympic Games tickets in trap shooting and 50m rifle three-position events, respectively, on the concluding day of the Asian Championships in Doha on Saturday. With these two quota places, the total number of berths secured by Indian marksmen has reached 11, the highest in any Olympics. The previous high was eight at Beijing 2008, where Abhinav Bindra won gold.
Overcoming windy conditions, the seasoned Sandhu not only won gold, but also managed a quota place in the last qualifying event for the Games, with an aggregate of 139/150 points, including a 122/125 in the qualification round.
"The conditions were challenging with winds of around 40kph, but I held my nerve. It was the last chance for me to qualify for London, so I gave it my all," said Sandhu, who has represented the country at the Athens and Beijing Games.
"I know I deserve to compete at the highest level, but somehow I missed out on earlier occasions, so I'm glad that I made it," said Sandhu from Doha.
Imran Hasan Khan, who finished fifth in 50m 3P rifle, clinched the berth as all four shooters ahead of him have already secured the quotas. Sanjeev Rajput and Gagan Narang won gold and bronze, respectively, in the event.
