New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) India's promising junior shooter Manisha Keer finished fifth in the opening qualifying round of the women's trap event in the ongoing Cairo World Cup on Monday.

The 21-year-old shooter from Bhopal was steady in the qualification round, having a series of 23 in the first three rounds of 25 shots each to score an aggregate of 69 points out of 75.

On Tuesday, the shooters will shoot two rounds of 25 each and the top six will enter the final.

"If Manisha is able to keep her form, she has a good chance of maintaining her position," said an official with the Indian team in Cairo.

The other Indians in a field of 23 shooters finished down the ladder.

Rajeshwari Kumari, 29, is the second Indian in fray. She shot a series of 23, 22, 17 for a total 62 while 20-year-old Kirti Gupta shot a total of 61. She had a series of 22, 16 and 21.

In the men's group, Prithviraj Tondaiman gave a good account of himself by shooting a steady round of 23, 23 and 23 for a total of 69 to finish at the 20th spot in the preliminary round on Monday.

In a highly competitive field, 33-year-old Tondaiman needs to prop up his performance in Tuesday's qualification round of 50 shots.

Lakshay Sheoran, 22, shot a series of 21, 23 and 23 for a total 67.
But Rio Olympian Kynan Chenai had a bad start. The 30-year-old shot a series of 22, 22, 22 for a total 66. A total of 52 shooters from across the globe are competing in the World Cup.

--IANS nns/qma