Manu Bhaker leads the charge as India name 35-member squad for World Cup in South America

NEW DELHI: Manu Bhaker, the ace pistol shooter and Khel Ratna awardee, will spearhead a formidable 35-member Indian contingent at the upcoming ISSF World Cups in South America, marking the commencement of the international shooting season. The team comprises a stellar lineup of shooters, including several Olympians from the Paris Games.

The first leg of the season will unfold in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from April 1-11, with a combined Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun World Cup. This will be followed by a second combined World Cup in Lima, Peru, from April 13-22, providing a challenging double-header for the Indian shooters.

Manu Bhaker, fresh from her success at the Paris Olympics where she clinched two bronze medals in the 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. Her participation will undoubtedly be a highlight, as she aims to build upon her Olympic achievements.

Joining Manu will be a host of 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).

In preparation for the South American sojourn, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) will organise a training camp at the Karni Singh Range in New Delhi, commencing on March 14.

This camp will provide the shooters with an opportunity to fine-tune their skills and strategies before embarking on the international circuit.

The ISSF calendar for the year holds significant importance, with the World Championships scheduled for October (shotgun) and November (rifle/pistol) being the marquee events. Additionally, two junior World Cups, including one in New Delhi in September, and the 16th Asian Championships in Kazakhstan in August, will provide valuable competitive exposure for the Indian shooters.

The team: (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.

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