Date:18/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/18/stories/2008121855282000.htm

Sport - Shooting

Sodhi favourite in double trap

JAIPUR: Ronjan Sodhi will be the star attraction in the double trap event in the 52nd National shotgun championship at the Oases range here on Thursday.

The Pink City is the second home for world-record holder Sodhi as his in-laws belong to the capital of Rajasthan. He had come here a week before the championship and it served as a holiday-cum-training stint for him.

For Sodhi, who equalled two world records in the double trap competition at the World Cup in Belgrade in June, the National championship would enable him get some valuable practice.

“Nationals are always important. It is a meeting point of all the shooters once in a year and I have never missed a National championship since I started in 1999. Right now there are no important assignments and it provides a good opportunity to have some practice,” said Sodhi, who had taken a break before resuming shooting about 10 days ago.

Notable absentee

The notable absentee will be Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. But his presence among the spectators will provide the Nationals a boost.

Vikram Bhatnagar, who won a silver medal with Rathore at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, is expected to throw a strong challenge to Sodhi in the race for the gold medal. Besides, young prospects like Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Asher Noria and last year’s junior National champion Ajay Mittal will be keen to prove their mettle in the senior league.

Sodhi, though a strong favourite to win the title, does not underestimate his opponents. “You never know. Any day, anyone can come good. In trap, nobody had expected Darius Chenai to win and he surprised everybody to take the title,” he said, in stressing his point of view.

On his plans for the next season, Sodhi, who wants to change his technique a bit so that it remains stable in pressure situations, said that it was time to experiment. “There are no quota places and no major events in 2009. So, it is the year to experiment,” Sodhi said. — Sports Reporter