PATIALA: The competitive rounds at the 6th Sardar Sajjan Singh Sethi Memorial Shooting(Indian Masters 2008) Championship at the NMBGC shooting range in Patiala opened with the Men and Women Trap events.

The championship has been organizing  under the aegis of National Rifle Association of India and Punjab Rifle and Shooting Association at the New Moti Bagh Gun Club (NMBGC) shooting range Patiala from March 25 to 30.

In the Women's Trap event, at the end of the 3 qualifying rounds, Shagun Chowdhary created a new NATIONAL RECORD (for Qualifying Rounds) with a score of 69 out of a maximum possible 75. She broke the earlier record of 68 held by Seema Tomar at the 2007 Nationals.

The Finals of the women event was won by SHAGUN CHOWDHARY (69+17 =86 ), the 2nd position went to Varsha Tomar (59+16=75), 3rd position Seema Tomar(53+17=70)

In the Juniors (women) Shreyasi Singh is placed 1st with a score of 49=15=64 points.

Prominent among those who would take part in the championship include Lt. Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore who won India's first individual silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

His event was the Men's Double Trap. In 2005 Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Melbourne, he was the member of the winning team in the double trap event. He further won a gold in the individual and team events in Men's double trap at the 2005 Asian Clay Shooting championships at Bangkok.

The gold in the individual event was the third consecutive one for Rathore at the annual events after the ones in 2003 and 2004, thus constituting a hat trick.

An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla Pune (N.D.A.) he won the Arjuna award in 2003-2004 for shooting and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour of India, in 2004-2005. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri, a civilian award from the Government of India, and the Ati Vishisht Seva medal.
                                    

Another ace shooter from the country who has proved his mettle in the domestic and international circuit Mansher Singh would also be a part of the championship. Mansher has been the national champion in 2002 and a silver medalist in the Asian Games in 2002 held at Busan. In 2002 he had bagged gold in the Common Wealth Games held at UK in 2001.

Meanwhile another upcoming shooter from the country Manavjit Singh Sandhu who won the bronze medal in the Men's Trap at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and a gold medal at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships.

Coordinator of the event Amarjang Singh said that the event would help promote shooting in the region and would also provide an opportunity to the budding shooters to show their skills.