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With a record 21 shooters set to represent India at the Paris Olympics, the nation hopes to end its medal drought after drawing blanks in the last two editions. read more
 "Who is going, how the team was picked and top medal contenders")
Medals in shooting could give India much-needed boost at Paris Olympics 2024. Images: PTI
Before Neeraj Chopra stunned us all by hurling that javelin 87.58 meters away and winning India’s first athletics gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, the country only had one individual gold medallist: Abhinav Bindra. The air rifle marksman won gold in the men’s 10m event in Beijing in 2008 to become India’s first individual gold medallist.
The first shooting medal for India came at Athens 2004 when Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won silver in the men’s double trap. He also was the first Indian to win an individual silver medal at the Olympics post-independence. Rathore’s silver led to a shooting revolution in India which peaked with Bindra’s gold at Beijing 2008.
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Shooting accounted for two more medals as India started to make a mark in individual sports at the Olympics since the turn of the 21st century.
At London 2012, Vijay Kumar won silver in men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event while Gagan Narang clinched bronze in men’s 10m air rifle competition.
However, the last Olympic Games have been nothing short of a nightmare for India with shooters drawing a blank in both games at Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020). As a combination, 27 shooters represented India over the two Games but all of them returned empty hands.
The Tokyo Olympics saw a record 15 shooters take part in the Games but only one managed to reach the final.
Something needed to change and while India are sending 21 shooters to the Paris Olympics, the selection criteria this time was a lot different.
The shooting contingent for the Tokyo Olympics was picked based on performances during the 18 months of the qualifying period leading into the Olympics. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) only considered scores of a few international tournaments and quota winners also got two bonus points which cleared the path for them. Chinki Yadav was the only quota winner to lose her spot in the Tokyo Olympics. That spot went to Elavenil Valarivan.
How shooters were picked for Paris 2024?
In stark contrast, the team for the rifle and pistol shooters for the Paris 2024 were picked after four selection trials. The top three scores were added to reach a conclusion. As a result, seven quota winners are not going to the Olympics.
Some of the big names like Rudrankksh Patil, Akhil Sheoran, and Mehuli Ghosh, who not only won quota in their respective categories but also clinched World Championships medals in the current Olympic cycle, have been brushed aside.
Overall, out of 21 Indian shooters, eight belong to rifle events and the same number to pistol. India had won 16 possible quotas in rifle and pistol. Five shotgun shooters complete the squad.
Manu Bhaker, who also took part in the Tokyo Games, is the only shooter to take part in more than one individual event. She will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol, women’s 25m pistol, and the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Can India win a medal?
This is a tough question to answer after what happened in the last two editions of the Summer Games. But there are a few old and new names that are in top form going into the Olympics and India will hope for a medal from them.
We take a look at a few of those names:
Manu Bhaker (Pistol): At Tokyo, Manu failed to reach the final in any of her three events, but at Paris, she will have her shot at redemption. She won 25m air pistol team World Championships gold last year but picked up real form in the trial, emerging as the most successful shooter.
Sandeep Singh (Rifle): Sandeep will be going to Paris instead of quota winner Rudrankksh Patil as he topped the trials. He has only taken part in a few international tournaments but his scores have been impressive and he is in top form.
Sift Kaur Samra (Rifle): She is the world record holder in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions and the current Asian Games champion. She defeated the world champion to win the gold at the Asian Games and her ability to come good in a pressure situation should stand her in good stead in Paris.
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (Rifle): After finishing 21st in Tokyo, Aishwary bounced back in style, having won four medals at the Asian Games. He was also a part of the gold-winning men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team at the World Championships in 2023. He didn’t win the 50m rifle 3 positions quota but made it to the Olympics team by topping the trials while quota winner Akhil Sheoran missed out.
India’s shooting team for Paris Olympics 2024:
Rifle
Women’s 10m air rifle: Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita Jindal
Men’s 10m air rifle: Sandeep Singh, Arjun Babuta
Women’s 50m rifle 3 positions: Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil
Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale
10m air rifle mixed team: Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan, Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal
Pistol
Women’s 10m air pistol: Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan
Men’s 10m air pistol: Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema
Women’s 25m pistol: Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh
Men’s 25m rapid fire pistol: Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu
10m air pistol mixed team: Sarabjot Singh/Manu Bhaker, Arjun Singh Cheema/Rhythm Sangwan
Shotgun
Women’s trap: Rajeshwari Kumari, Shreyasi Singh
Men’s trap: Prithviraj Tondaiman
Women’s skeet: Maheshwari Chauhan, Raiza Dhillon
Men’s skeet: Anantjeet Singh Naruka
Skeet mixed team: Anantjeet Singh Naruka/Maheshwari Chauhan
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