After their effort fell short at the World event held March 19-29 at the Indian capital, they will now keep their fingers crossed hoping to get wild cards from the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Sehmi scored 607.5 points, Otundo 597.1 and Wangui a 598.6 in the 10m Air Rifle to surpass the MQS of 563
Things proved tough for Maurice Morara and David Kirui, who scored 544.70x and 532.05x to finish 24th and 26th respectively in the qualifying round of the 10m Air Pistol won by Indian Chaundhary Saurabh with 587.27x
Kenya firers - former Africa champion Gulraaj Sehmi, Sanford Otundo and Priscilla Wangui - attained the Tokyo Olympic Games minimum qualifying scores (MQS) from the just concluded ISSF World Cup in New Delhi, India.
However, the feat was not enough to help them secure the automatic qualification slots for the Tokyo Summer Games after failing to reach the medal bracket.
After their effort fell short at the World event held March 19-29 at the Indian capital, they will now keep their fingers crossed hoping to get wild cards from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Sehmi scored 607.5 points, Otundo 597.1 and Wangui a 598.6 in the 10m Air Rifle to surpass the MQS of 563.
Sehmi and Otundo finished 38th and 39th respectively in the qualifying round where Korean Taeyun Nam scored 632.1 to guide eight top firers into the final.
However, it's Lucas Kozeniesky from United States, who was placed seventh in the qualifying stage on 628.8 that won the overall title in 249.8. Nam came in eighth.
Sehmi also attained MQS in 50m Rifle Three Position (Kneeling, Prone, Standing) with a score of 1137.40x. Otundo finished 33rd in the category with a score of 1079.24x.
Former Africa champion Gulraaj Sehmi during Team Kenya training at the Sailing Club, Nairobi ahead of the ISSF World Cup.
Photo credit: Ayumba Ayodi | Nation Media Group
Indian Sanjeev Rajput guided eight firers into the final with 1172-54x but it's compatriot Pratap Singh, who emerged the winner in the final showdown with 462.5. Rajput came in sixth with 413.3.
Things proved tough for Maurice Morara and David Kirui, who scored 544.70x and 532.05x to finish 24th and 26th respectively in the qualifying round of the 10m Air Pistol won by Indian Chaundhary Saurabh with 587.27x.
However, it's the Irishman Javad Forough, who scored 243.6 to win the grand finale.
Jaspal Singh and Dhruv Shah from Kenya managed 76 and 75 points to settle 22nd and 23rd in men's Shotgun Skeet.
Qatari Nasser Al-Attiya top the qualifier with 123 +2 but it's Jasper Hansen from Denmark who turned the tables to reign supreme in the grand finale, downing 58 points. Al- Attiya settled third with 44, behind Seif bin Butais, who clinched silver on 51.
25-year wait
Team Kenya coach Gurupreet Dhanjal disclosed that with the MQS achieved they will have a chance to push for Tripartite Commission places and reallocated quota places with the final decision coming from the IOC and ISSF.
Sanford Otundo during Team Kenya training at the Sailing Club, Nairobi ahead of the ISSF World Cup.
Photo credit: Ayumba Ayodi | Nation Media Group
"The issue we have with the Tripartite Commission place is that Kenya is generally not eligible because we are quite a powerhouse with a good representation at the Olympics, but our lobbying point is that sports shooting is still in its Infancy in Kenya and Africa," said Dhanjal. "Kenya needs more support from the IOC and ISSF to make the game popular and attractive."
Kenya is yet send a shooter to the Olympics for the last 25 years. Anuj Desai was the last at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games where he competed in 50m Prone Rifle.
Kenya made its debut at the Olympics during the 1956 Melbourne Games where Roy Congreve and Charles Trotter competed in 50m Three Position Rifle and 50m Rifle Prone.
Kenya had the highest number of participants (nine) at the 1972 Munich Games.
