India finish on ninth spot in Nicosia Shotgun World Cup with one silver

Prithviraj Tondaiman, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Vivaan Kapoor lost 2-6 to Kuwait in the men's trap final to clinch a silver as India finished a disappointing ninth in the the year's first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup for Shotgun in Nicosia, Cyprus. India was represented by an 11-member shotgun contingent in the event, according to a release issued by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

In the 12-team qualification round, the Indian team shot admirably well for a score of 214 out of 225, enabling a second-place finish to Kuwait, who topped with 217. The Kuwaiti dominance then extended in the final as the Indians came out second best.

Poland beat Turkey 6-4 to bag the bronze medal. Among other notable performances, two-time Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan shot 119 out of 125, including two perfect series of 25 each, but still missed out on a semifinal spot by a point.

He finished ninth among medal contenders in a field of over 100. Close to 350 athletes from around 50 countries participated in the Shotgun World Cup in Nicosia, where 14 nations won medals.

Italy finished at the top of the standings with three of the 10 gold medals on offer, while Turkey came second and Slovakia third.