A strong 12-member team will represent India at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup to be held in Cairo from February 24 to March 4.
With Olympic qualifications in mind, the selection committee of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced the Indian squad for the ISSF World Cup. Six shooters will represent the nation in each of the skeet and trap events.
The ISSF World Cup will be the first international competition in over a year for India's top skeet and trap shooters. The Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in the postponement and cancellation of most of the shooting tournaments last year.
The tournament will start off with the men's and women's skeet events, followed by the trap events beginning on March 1.
The eight-day competition will be the final opportunity for India's skeet and trap exponents to qualify for the Olympics.
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Indian shooters participating in the ISSF World Cup
Skeet shooters Angad Bajwa and Mairaj Ahmad Khan have already bagged quotas for the Tokyo Olympics, starting from July 23. Apart from the two, Gurjoat Khangura will also participate in the skeet events at the ISSF World Cup. The women's skeet team will feature Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal, and Karttiki Singh Shaktawat.
Rajeshwari Kumari, Shreyasi Singh, and Manisha Keer, all of whom won medals at the recently-concluded Asian Online Shooting Championships, are among the women's trap shooters who will participate in the ISSF World Cup.
Men's trap shooting team of Kynan Chenai, Prithviraj Tondaiman, and Lakshay Sheoran will look to capitalise on the opportunity to secure maximum possible points for an Olympic berth.
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Events at the ISSF World Cup
February 24 - Skeet (Men & Women) and Skeet Team (Men & Women)
February 25 - Skeet (Men & Women), Skeet Team (Men & Women), Skeet women final, Skeet men final
February 26 - Skeet Team (Men & Women), Skeet Team Women final, Skeet Team Men final
February 27- Skeet Mixed Team, Skeet Mixed Team final
March 1 - Trap (Men & Women), Trap Team (Men & Women)
March 2 - Trap (Men & Women), Trap Team (Men & Women), Trap Women final, Trap Men final
March 3 - Trap Mixed Team, Trap Mixed Team final
March 4 - Trap Team (Men & Women), Trap Team Women final, Trap Team Men final