Harpal Singh Bedi 

New Delhi: Aligarh based promising youngster Areeba Khan,with a total of 109 finished creditable 24^thrank in the women’s skeet at Shotgun World Cup at Lahiti, Finland onThursday.

 Areeba finished with a round of 24 out of 25 to be short of the top score of 118 recorded by American Caitlin Connor, by nine hits.

 In the process,the young Indian, still not out of the junior ranks and competing in her debut senior ISSF World Cup stage, repeated her qualifying round score of 109 from the Shotgun World Championship at Lonato, Italy, earlier this year, but improved her position considerably with a 24^thrank finish.

Meng Wei of China won the gold with a Tokyo 2020 Olympic quoto to boot in the event. The second quota place went to Germany’s Nele Wissmer who finished fifth.

 Areeba’s teammates Saniya Sheikh and Kartikki Singh Shaktawat returned scores of 98 and 96 and were placed  63^rdand 65^th respectively.

In Men’s Skeet, the Indian trio of Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Angad Veer Singh Bajwa were placed 64^th, 73^rdand 91^stwith scores of 46, 45 and 44 respectively after two rounds of qualification.

HSB