Date:24/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/24/stories/2007092461031900.htm

Sport - Shooting

It will be tough to drop Srao from team

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Harveen Srao may not have shot her best in the trials held at the Dr. Karni Singh Range at Tughlakabad, but it will be tough to drop the 21-year-old Patiala girl when the selectors meet on Monday to finalise the Indian team for the Asian shooting championship to be held in Kuwait in December.

It is fresh in everyone’s mind that the talented air pistol shooter had recently beaten the reigning Olympic champion in the World University Games with a handy margin, following an impressive 388 out of 400 in the preliminary phase, a score that can win her a medal in any competition.

Not helping the cause

It has not helped Harveen’s cause that she has had an average of 375 from three of her best scores in the four matches that she had shot in the trials. Of course, a brilliant 103.2 in one of the two finals that she made should help national coach Prof. Sunny Thomas in pleading her case.

Of course, Harveen may be chosen unanimously by the selection panel for she is one of the best prospects for winning an Olympic quota place, the last of which would be on offer for the region in Kuwait.

With Shweta Chaudhary emerging the strongest following rounds of 383, 382 and 380, the mood may be to opt for Nausheen Fatima who finished second in the trials. It may be equally difficult to ignore the claims of the talented Sushma Singh.

But the fact remains, that there is only a minor decimal difference between Sushma Singh, Annuraj Singh and Harveen for the third slot.

Sushma had shown her class in the sports pistol event in the World Cup in Bangkok recently, when she narrowly missed the Olympic quota place despite setting two national records.