Sheeraz Sheikh shot increasingly better by logging 74 out of 75 in the last three rounds, but a total of 119 saw him miss the skeet final by three points in the shotgun World Cup that concluded in Al Ain, UAE, on Monday.
Sheeraz had conceded ground in the first two rounds with scores of 22 and 23. Thus, he could not catch up in a highly competitive field in which three shooters with 122 missed out on the final, in the shoot-off.
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While Sheeraz was the best placed among the three Indians at 31st, Asian champion Angad Vir Singh Bajwa also shot 119 for the 43rd place. He had consistent series of 24, 23, 24, 24 and 24.
Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan finished well with rounds of 24 and 25, but fared below his best in the first and third rounds with scores of 21 and 22 respectively. He was thus 69th with a total of 116, in a field of 125 shooters.
Mansour Al Rashedi of Kuwait beat Jesper Hansen of Denmark for the gold 56-54 in the final. Both the shooters won the Olympic quota place, ahead of the bronze medallist Luke Peter Argiro of Australiia who equalled the world record of perfect 125 in qualification.
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The results: Men’s skeet: 1. Mansour Al Rashedi (Kuw) 56 (123); 2. Jesper Hansen (Den) 54 (122); 3. Luke Peter Argiro (Aus) 42 (125 EWR).
31. Sheeraz Sheikh 119; 43. Angad Vir Singh Bajwa 119; 69. Mairaj Ahmad Khan 116 .