New Delhi: Ace pistol shooter Manu Bhaker will lead a 35-member Indian team at the season-opening ISSF World Cups in April, set to take place in South America. The squad includes nearly all the shooters who competed in the Paris Olympics.

One of the major highlights is the return of air pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary to the national team after over three years. Saurabh, who struggled with a shoulder injury and a dip in form following the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has made a strong comeback by setting a national record in the 10m air pistol qualification and impressing in trials. He had previously partnered with Manu Bhaker in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Tokyo Olympics.

ISSF World Cup schedule

The international shooting season will begin with two back-to-back World Cups in South America. The first event, featuring rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines, will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from April 1 to 11. The second combined World Cup will take place in Lima, Peru, from April 13 to 22.

Olympians among the squad

Manu Bhaker, recently honoured with the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award for winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 10m women's air pistol and 10m air pistol mixed team event with Sarabjot Singh, will compete in two individual events: women's air pistol and 25m pistol.

She will be joined by other Paris Olympians, including Anish Bhanwala and Vijayveer Sidhu (men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol), Esha Singh (women’s 25m pistol), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Sift Kaur Samra and Shriyanka Sadangi (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions), Arjun Babuta (men’s 10m air rifle), Prithviraj Tondaiman (men’s trap), Anant Jeet Singh Naruka (men’s skeet), and Raiza Dhillon (women’s skeet).

Ahead of their departure, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) will conduct a training camp at the Karni Singh Range in New Delhi from March 14.

Key events 

The biggest events of the ISSF calendar this year include the World Championships, scheduled for October (shotgun) and November (rifle/pistol).

"There will be a total of three World Cup stages for each discipline, while two junior World Cups, including the second one in New Delhi in September, are also scheduled. Also on the international roster this year is the 16th Asian Championships in Kazakhstan in August," the NRAI stated in a release.

NRAI secretary-general Sultan Singh emphasised that following India’s success at the Paris Olympics, the responsibility now rests on the entire shooting fraternity to aim for even greater achievements.

"A new responsibility rests on the entire shooting fraternity to raise the bar even higher. We are confident that those selected for the international season openers will come out with flying colours," Singh said.

Coaching staff for LA 2028 Olympics

The NRAI recently announced a panel of coaches and experts to guide Indian shooters on their path to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with Jaspal Rana appointed as the high-performance coach for 25m pistol.

Rana’s return to mainstream Indian shooting has been complemented by the appointment of decorated shooter Jitu Rai as the 10m air pistol coach. Additionally, the latest Dronacharya awardee, Deepali Deshpande, who mentored Swapnil Kusale to a bronze medal in Paris, has been named head coach (rifle).

Indian team for ISSF World Cups (Individual events)

Air Rifle:

  • Men: Rudrankksh Patil, Arjun Babuta, Hriday Hazarika.
  • Women: Arya Rajesh Borse, R Narmada Nithin, Sonam Uttam Maskar.

50m Rifle 3 positions:

  • Men: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Chain Singh, Niraj Kumar.
  • Women: Ashi Chouksey, Shriyanka Sadangi, Sift Kaur Samra.

Air Pistol:

  • Men: Saurabh Chaudhary, Ravinder Singh, Varun Tomar.
  • Women: Suruchi, Manu Bhaker, Sainyam.

25m Rapid-Fire Pistol:

  • Men: Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh.

25m Sports Pistol:

  • Women: Manu Bhaker, Simranpreet Kaur Brar, Esha Singh.

Trap:

  • Men: Lakshay, Prithviraj Tondaiman, Zoravar Singh Sandhu.
  • Women: Neeru, Pragati Dubey, Bhavya Tripathi.

Skeet:

  • Men: Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Anantjeet Naruka, Gurjoat Singh.
  • Women: Raiza Dhillon, Ganemat Sekhon, Darshna Rathore.

Mixed Team Events

Air Rifle Mixed Team: Rudrankksh Patil, Arya Rajesh Borse; Arjun Babuta, R Narmada Nithin.Air Pistol Mixed Team: Saurabh Chaudhary, Suruchi; Ravinder Singh, Manu Bhaker.Trap Mixed Team: Lakshay, Neeru; Prithviraj Tondaiman, Pragati Dubey.

PTI