Deepak Kumar, Divyansh Singh Panwar in men's 10m air rifle at Tokyo Olympics 2021: Preview, rankings and predictions 

The fourth shooting event of the 2021 Olympics is the men’s 10m air rifle event. Divyansh Singh Panwar and Deepak Kumar will lead India’s charge in this discipline. It’s scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 25th.

The ‘60-shot’ qualification stage will take place at 9:30 a.m IST. The ‘24-shot’ final is scheduled at 12 p.m IST. Only the top-8 shooters will progress to the final round from the field of 47 shooters.

18-year Divyansh Singh Panwar hails from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He idolizes his state-mate and the renowned shooter Apurvi Chandela. Divyansh is the current World No.2 and one of India’s biggest medal hopefuls!

Along with Divyansh, Deepak Kumar will also share the responsibility of bringing laurels to India. He is 33 years old and just like Divyansh, he will be making his debut Olympic appearance in Tokyo. Deepak is currently ranked 11th in the world!

Divyansh won the first Olympic quota in this event. At the ISSF World Cup in Beijing, China in 2019, he shot exceptionally well to clinch the silver medal. By virtue of this achievement, he booked a prestigious berth for the 2021 Olympics.

Deepak claimed India’s second Olympic quota in 14th Asian Shooting Championship at Doha, Qatar in 2019. He did it in style as he finished third to have the bronze medal against his name as well!

Prediction for Deepak Kumar, Divyansh Singh Panwar in men's 10m air rifle at Tokyo Olympics 2021:

The recent forms of both these shooters have been iffy. In 2021, Deepak Kumar hasn’t been able to progress past the qualification stage at any of the two ISSF World Cups. He was even infected with the COVID-19 virus in April. He recovered in time for the 80-day preparatory camp in Croatia.

Divyansh Singh Panwar had a reasonably better start to 2021. In the first ISSF World Cup of the year in New Delhi, India, he added a bronze medal to his kitty. However, his momentum dipped at the ISSF World Cup in Osijek, Croatia. He shot below the expected range of scores and hence, he couldn’t qualify for the final.

Peni Istvan of Hungary (World No.1) is a top contender for the 2021 Olympic title in the men’s 10m air rifle event. The same goes for Croatia’s Gorsa Petar and USA’s Lucas Kozeniesky.

A score of 628+ points will be enough to make it into the 8-shooter final. Expect at least a podium finish from Divyansh Singh Panwar if he qualifies for the final, as he boasts of a 100% medal conversion rate in his career so far. Deepak Kumar, owing to his maturity and proven track record, can’t be discounted either!