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Published on November 27, 2007

The shooting competition, scheduled until December 3 at the Hua Mark Sports Complex, is held before the regular schedule in Nakhon Ratchasima to avoid an overlap with Kuwait's Asian Championships, which offer shooters berths in the 2008 Olympic Games.

A total of seven gold medals in shooting are on offer today with the women's 50m rifle prone being the first event to take place this morning.

Thanyalak won silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. The Chiang Mai star will also join hands with Paramaporn Ponglaokham and Kusuma Taweesri in the team event. The Kingdom has an edge over other countries, being champions in the Doha Asian Games last December.

Tanyaporn Prucksakorn is the other local gold medal prospect in the women's 25m pistol event while Jakkrit Panichpatikum is another hope in the men's 10m air pistol.

Auchai Kanjanapitak, chairman of the Shooting Athlete Preparation Committee, said at least two gold medals were expected by his team on the opening day. "We believe our shooters, especially the Asian Games gold medallists, will sweep both medals in the women's 50m rifle prone. Jakkrit may bag the men's 10m air pistol gold. However, all of them are under pressure as they will be competing in front of their home crowd," he said.

Vietnam and Malaysia are arch-rivals for the gold medals. A total of 26 gold medals from 13 events feature in the shooting category.

In skeet and trap, Supawan Kra-jaejantasak will be out to defend her 25-target title against gunners from the Philippines and Indonesia.

Somporn Suphop

 The Nation