Bhavtegh Singh Gill wins silver medal at ISSF Junior World Cup in Italy

India’s Bhavtegh Singh Gill bagged silver in the men’s skeet event on Monday, the final day of the ISSF Junior World Cup in Porpetto, Italy.

Bhavtegh, a silver winner at the Junior Asian Championships last year, shot 52 in the six-man final to finish behind American Benjamin Keller, who shot 56 out of the 60 allotted clay targets, to grab the gold medal.

Bhavtegh’s effort came after Sabeera Haris won the bronze in the junior women’s trap earlier.

With these two medals, India finished third behind USA and Italy in the standings.

Shooting his final two rounds of qualification, Bhavtegh made the top six in fifth position with a score of 121.

USA’s Jordan Sapp, who won bronze eventually, topped the field with a perfect 125, equalling the junior world record.

Italy’s Antonio La Volpe won a 15-shot four-way shoot-off to clinch the sixth and final spot after shooting 120.

France’s Dorian Richard and La Volpe were the least accurate in the initial stages of the final, missing five and seven targets each in the first round comprising 20 targets.

Bhavtegh was joint second at this stage along with Sapp and Lithuania's Tomas Vaitekunas, with them missing three targets each.

Keller, meanwhile, took the early lead, shooting down all 20.

Bhavtegh then had a perfect round of 20 of his own to not only catch up with Keller, who missed three in this round, but also assure himself of a medal as Sapp went down to bronze position.

The Indian shooter then did well to hold on to silver, as Keller finished strongest to clinch gold.

Zoravar Bedi (115) and Munek Battula (113), two other Indians in the junior men’s skeet, were further down the standings -- 26th and 33rd spots respectively.

Sanjana Sood, with 114, was the best Indian in the junior women’s skeet finishing 10th overall. Vanshika Tiwari (112) was 13th while Zahra Deesawala (101) finished 36th overall.