In-form Xuereb storms to second title in Italy

Nathan Lee Xuereb chalked up his second victory in Italy in the space of few days yesterday after the young shooter defied the stormy weather to secure the junior title at the Italian Double Trap Grand Prix, held in Todi, Perugia.

Competing in lashing rain, Xuereb, who won the 2013 Green Cup at the same ranges in Umbria Verde last weekend, was off to a strong start, hitting 28 from the opening 30 clays.

The 16-year-old went on to hit scores of 26, 25, 27 and 25 to complete the first phase of the competition with a total of 131 from 150 clays. The result earned Xuereb one of the six berths in the semi-finals.

Here, Xuereb showed his true potential as he struck an impressive 29 from 30 clays to book his place in the gold medal match.

In the final, Xuereb missed just two clays to secure the junior title which saw the participation of shooters from various countries.

In a statement, the Malta Shooting Sport Federation (MSSF) said coach Jimmy Bugeja was very satisfied with the performance of Xuereb, especially in light of the difficult weather conditions.