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India’s shooting squad for the Paris Olympics features eight rifle shooters and seven in the pistol discipline. read more
 "Manu Bhaker picked in two individual events; rifle, pistol teams announced")
File image of Indian shooter Manu Bhaker. PTI
Manu Bhaker was the only shooter to be picked in two individual events for the upcoming Paris Olympics as the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced a 15-member India rifle and pistol team on Tuesday.
The squad features eight rifle shooters and seven in the pistol discipline.
The selectors, who met virtually, decided to give more weightage to trial results, shutting the door on the likes of world champion Rudrankksh Patil, who has asked for consideration after underwhelming scores in his pet 10m air rifle event as he had won the quota.
In shooting, quotas are won by countries and not individual athletes.
All the team members, along with the coaches and support staff, are currently in a camp in Volmerange-Les-Mines, France, mainly aimed at “acclimatisation and hard-training” before they return for a two-week break.
The squad for the shotgun event will be announced after the ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy. It starts from Wednesday and goes on until 18 June.
Indian shooters secured a record 21 of the 24 possible quotas, including a full allocation of eight each in rifle and pistol events.
It is India’s best-ever quota haul in shooting at any edition of the Olympics, eclipsing the 15 from Tokyo Games.
This means the shooter who clinched the quota can be replaced by another, leading up to the Games on the basis of scores in the selection trials conducted by the NRAI.
Sharing his thoughts, NRAI senior vice president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, said, “The selection committee met and deliberated at length. After deliberating at length, we feel we have selected the best team on current form as per merit and sticking to the policy.
“We are confident that everything has been put in place for the team to deliver. Given our depth in rifle and pistol, some very good shooters are not part of the squad. However, they will have a chance to make a comeback. We wish the squad all the very best.”
Performance of the shooters in the trials underlined India’s depth and bench strength in rifle and pistol shooting but that is no guarantee for a rich haul at the Olympics.
In Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, India fielded 12 and 15-member teams and returned empty-handed on both occasions.
On behalf of the federation, Deo thanked the Government of India, the Sports Ministry, and the Sports of Authority of India, who have “guided and supported us in every step of the preparations.”
Besides all 16 possible shots at a medal, in eight individual rifle and pistol events, India will also have a record five starts across the four individual shotgun events. Additionally, India will also field five mixed teams, two each in rifle and pistol and one in shotgun.
K Sultan Singh, secretary general at NRAI, said, “The team is in good form and battle ready, consisting of as many as four Olympians and other senior shooters as well as a lot of extremely promising, confident and matured young talent.
“They have been training very systematically for a long time under the guidance and support of the entire training squad of the HPD (High-Performance Director), foreign coaches, national coaches, the sports science team, the physios etc. who have been steadfastly and minutely working towards one goal and that is to have a successful podium finish.”
The NRAI will also be looking to exchange the spare quota place which has freed up because of Bhaker making it to two events, appropriately as per ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) rules.
The Paris Games will be held from July 26 to August 11.
Indian rifle and pistol team for 2024 Paris Olympics:
Rifle: Sandeep Singh, Arjun Babuta (10m Air Rifle M), Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita (10m Air Rifle W), Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil (50m Rifle 3 Positions W), Aishwary Tomar, Swapnil Kusale (50m Rifle 3 Positions M)
Pistol: Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema (10m Air Pistol M), Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan (10m Air Pistol W), Anish Bhanwal Vijayveer Sidhu (25m RFP M) , Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh (25m Pistol W).
(with inputs from PTI)
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