NRAI announces 15-member rifle and pistol team for 2024 Paris Olympics

NEW DELHI: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced a 15-member Rifle and Pistol team on Tuesday following a virtual meeting of the senior selection committee.

Manu Bhaker will make her second Olympic appearance, competing in both the women’s 10m air pistol and the women’s 25m pistol events, making her the only Indian athlete to participate in more than one individual event at the Paris Olympics.

The team comprises eight shooters in the rifle discipline and seven in pistol. All team members, along with coaches and support staff, are currently in a training camp in Volmerange-Les-Mines, France. This camp aims at acclimatization and intensive training before a two-week break back home, according to an NRAI release.

The NRAI also plans to exchange the spare quota place freed up by Manu's participation in two events, in accordance with ISSF rules.

India has secured a record 21 quotas in shooting for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This includes 16 potential medal shots across eight individual rifle and pistol events, and a record five starts in four individual shotgun events. Additionally, India will field five mixed teams: two each in rifle and pistol, and one in shotgun.

"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," said Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, senior vice president of NRAI.

K Sultan Singh, secretary general of NRAI, added, "The team is in good form & battle ready, consisting of as many as four Olympians and other senior shooters as well as a lot of extremely promising, confident & 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, foreign coaches, national coaches, the sports science team, the physios etc. who have been steadfastly & minutely working towards one goal and that is to have a successful podium finish. We are confident that the team will make the Nation very proud in Paris.”

The Shotgun team announcement will follow the ongoing Lonato International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup.

India's Rifle and Pistol Team for Paris Olympics 2024:
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 IANS)